Agency-wide, mandatory requirements of the Acquisition Management System, applicable to all activities associated with the analysis of agency needs for products and services, determination of requirements, analysis of investment alternatives, establishment of acquisition programs, allocation and expenditure of resources, procurement, deployment of products and services, in-service management of fielded capabilities, and eventual disposal of obsolete products. Acquisition policy applies to all acquisition programs of any cost and any appropriation, including programs managed at headquarters and those managed at regions, centers, and other field activities.

The Administrator approves acquisition policy. Waivers or deviations may only be approved by the FAA Acquisition Executive.

The official record of acquisition policy is located in the FAA Acquisition System Toolset (FAST). FAST contains the entire Acquisition Management System (AMS). The policy is within a site marked "AMS Policy", accessed from the FAST Homepage. Policy changes are incorporated in the next quarterly update after approval by the Administrator.

A set of agency-endorsed processes, instructions, templates, databases, handbooks, checklists, and other information that supplements, expands, or illustrates acquisition policy. This information guides and supports the workforce in the planning and execution of acquisition policy, as well as all related lifecycle phase and functional discipline activities and processes.

Acquisition guidance is derived from acquisition policy and should be followed unless there is rational basis for adopting a different approach.

The official record of acquisition guidance is located in the FAA Acquisition System Toolset (FAST). All guidance is clearly marked on the screen whenever accessed in FAST. Guidance changes are incorporated in the next quarterly update after approval by the Director, Office of Acquisition.

The terms "shall", "must", and "mandatory" are used to indicate requirements where it is necessary to comply. Waivers are required from the FAA Acquisition Executive if there is intent to not abide by the requirements.

The term "should" is used to indicate requirements or procedures that are not mandatory and allow some discretion to adopt different approaches consistent with applicable law and acquisition policy of AMS. Acquisition personnel are expected to use principles of reasoned decision making and to document, to an appropriate extent, the rational basis for adopting a different approach*.

*Note: In certain circumstances due to the nature of the rational basis, a team may determine that a responsible official shall document the rationale for deviating from AMS guidance. Such documentation shall be filed in the official program records.

Examples of rational basis include factual statements showing that:

• a deviation from the guidance will clearly enhance one or more factors of cost, schedule, requirements, or benefits.
  
• Congressional direction requires adopting a different approach.
  
• circumstances of the program clearly show that deviations from guidance are required.

The term "may" is used to confer authority to exercise full discretion by the user in implementing the applicable part of AMS where the term is used.

Acquisition policy is accessed from the FAST Homepage by selecting the section desired from the list under the AMS heading.  Within FAST, policy and guidance is clearly marked at the top of every screen with either the word "policy" or "guidance", to aid the user in identifying which category is being accessed.".

All information within AMS, displayed in FAST, is officially designated as acquisition guidance unless it has been specifically and clearly marked as acquisition policy. All guidance is officially sanctioned and approved using the same formal AMS Configuration Management process as used for policy. (Refer to AMS Policy, Section 1.9) Within FAST, policy and guidance is clearly marked at the top of every screen with either the word "policy" or "guidance", to aid the user in identifying which category is being accessed.".