CDFM Module 1 cheat sheet
CDFM Module 1 · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Acquisition Management - Additional Decision Support
Independent cost estimates are required for major defense acquisition programs and are compared with program office estimates to test realism.
Should-cost analysis models what a program should cost given productivity and efficiency assumptions, independent of budget history.
Affordability analysis tests whether planned funding fits within the future-years top line; unfunded affordability gaps must be resolved before milestone approval.
Analysis of alternatives compares material solutions on cost, schedule, performance, and risk before a program enters development.
Cost as an independent variable sets an affordable cost target and trades requirements against it rather than accepting cost as an output.
Program office cost data should be normalized to constant dollars and consistent quantity before comparison across alternatives.