MITRE is proposing the development of a digital acquisition policy sandbox, or DAPS, to help the Defense Acquisition System address challenges brought by a new wave of changes in statutes, executive orders, or EOs, and departmental policies in a new paper published Friday. Titled The Defense Acquisition System Digital Acquisition Policy Sandbox, the paper says the DAS can take advantage of the diagnostic platform to effectively maneuver through the changes and lessen program disruptions.
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Frequent & Complex Policy Changes
For the first seven months of 2025 alone, the DAS had to deal with 176 EOs signed by the U.S. president, several of which directly affect DOD acquisition policies. The amount, frequency and complexity of these changes ripple through the DAS, impacting individual acquisition programs, program executive offices and policymakers, the company explained.
Digital Acquisition Policy Sandbox
The DAPS would use AI and data analytics to assess the impact of policy shifts in real time, allowing leaders and program offices to better anticipate and manage change.
The sandbox would include customized dashboards for different user groups, providing a unified, data-driven framework for DAS change management. MITRE claimed the DAPS could potentially overhaul the DOD’s response process to current and future policy shifts.
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