NATO AACP-2 VOL 8

AVAILABLE ELECTRONIC ONLY

INTRODUCTION

1. The Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) invited
the NATO Group on Acquisition Practices (AC/313) to develop
guidelines which would assist contracting efforts in the framework
of NATO co-operative programmes.

2. In order to achieve the Continuous Acquisition and Life Cycle
Support (CALS) objective for a standardized approach to integrating
technical data for use within weapons systems, a logical data
structure is required to control and coordinate all necessary
information used to support a weapon system throughout its life
cycle. This concept of a data structure to provide for the logical
collection of shared data (known as Continuous Acquisition and Life
Cycle Support Integrated Weapons System Data Base) to support all
users of information systems will provide the basis for Government
and Industry to participate in an effective shared environment
envisioned under Continuous Acquisition and Life Cycle Support. In
order to implement an integrated weapons systems database it is
essential that adequate rights to the technical and/or business
data be obtained by Government and/or Industry as necessary.

3. In addition, a clear agreement between Government and
Industry as to what is the deliverable data under the contract is
required. To address the changed environment with the advent of
Continuous Acquisition and Life Cycle Support and the current trend
of contracting out logistics support, it is possible to ensure
adequate access to data by both Government and Industry through a
Contract Data Requirements List and the associated Data Item
Descriptions which form part of the contract. The Contract Data
Requirements List and Data Item Description requirements, specified
in the Request for Proposal, provide the contractual means by which
defence systems data, in digital format or otherwise are delivered
to the Government. To receive technical information in Continuous
Acquisition and Life Cycle Support standard digital formats, the
Contract Data Requirements List must clearly identify the
appropriate Continuous Acquisition and Life Cycle Support
requirements for contents, structure and compliance.