SD-2 Dod Acquisitions Buying Commercial Items And Nondevelopmental ItemsThis document offers guidance on acquisitions involving all types of commercial and nondevelopmental items: systems, subsystems, assemblies, parts, and items of supply. Commercial services are also addressed.This document does not present a “cookbook” approach to the acquisition of commercial and nondevelopmental items; such an approach could not accommodate the vast array of potential applications. It does offer lessons learned and things to consider when participating on an integrated product team.

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signed. If the operational environment and operators are equivalent to the design environment

and operators, it may be possible to eliminate qualification testing based on the history of the item.

Maintainability

Maintainability is another area requiring attention in the acquisition of a commercial or non- developmental item.The maintenance system for commercial items may differ from the DoD system.Therefore, the test and evaluation program must evaluate the maintainability features of the commercial items-accessibility, interchangeability of parts and components, use of standard parts, built-in testing and maintenance equipment, and ease of handling-to determine if they are suitable for DoD use.The criteria for evaluating maintainability for a commercial item or NDI are the same as for a development program.

To determine a commercial or nondevelopmental item's maintainability, the test and evalua- tion program should begin with a review of maintainability data based on the item's operational history.When such quantitative maintainability data are not available, it may be possible to re- view certain analyses performed by the manufacturer when developing the item-predictions; failure mode, effects, and criticality analyses; thermal and stress analyses; and even service and warranty records-or to assess relative maintainability values.The focus should be on determin- ing how the item can be maintained in the DoD environment.

If the available data are insufficient to determine maintainability, testing may be needed. Pro- gram office, functional area activity, and test activity personnel should coordinate planning and execution of testing programs and provide test alternatives to the decision maker.

If the data or tests demonstrate that the item cannot meet maintainability requirements, the

IPT should consider the following alternatives:

•  Require total contractor logistics support, including a requirement to meet a specified operational availability

•  Scrutinize mission profiles or the basis of issue to determine if the demonstrated main- tainability values of the potential commercial items or NDIs are acceptable under different circumstances

•  Purchase sufficient replacements to meet the specified operational availability

•  Modify the commercial item or NDI to meet maintainability requirements.

Follow-on evaluations may be needed for items that have demonstrated marginal maintain- ability characteristics during qualification tests.