The Defense Acquisition System needs a digital policy sandbox to navigate rapid changes to statutes, Executive Orders, and departmental policies in real time and minimize program disruptions. It would leverage artificial intelligence, utilize data analytics, and feature tailored dashboards.
The Defense Acquisition System Digital Acquisition Policy Sandbox
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The Defense Acquisition System (DAS) is facing increasing challenges due to the rapid pace and complexity of recent changes, including statutes, Executive Orders (EOs), and departmental policies. Between January and July 2025 alone, the President signed 176 EOs. Several of these EOs directly impacted Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition policies. These frequent shifts create cascading effects across the DAS hierarchy, affecting policymakers, Program Executive Offices, and individual acquisition programs.
To address these challenges, this paper proposes the development of a Digital Acquisition Policy Sandbox (DAPS). This diagnostic platform would enable stakeholders to assess the impacts of DAS changes in real time. The DAPS would empower policymakers and program offices to effectively navigate change, ensure alignment with acquisition authorities, and minimize program disruptions. It would do so by leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics.
The DAPS would feature tailored dashboards for different user groups, fostering a unified, data driven approach to managing DAS changes. This innovative tool has the potential to transform how the DoD responds to current and future policy shifts, equipping stakeholders with the agility and precision needed to thrive in a period of accelerating change.