Reliability and Maintainability Acquisition Handbook

The reliability and maintainability (R&M) requirements for systems and equipment in MIL-STD-785B and MIL-STD-470A, (Refs. 1,2) respectively, were formatted and structured to encourage tailoring, based on need and cost effectiveness. However, the R&M requirements in statements of work (SOW) included in requests for proposal (RFPs) and contracts have not been presented in a style that consistently conveys the intent of the sow for each task. The reliability and maintainability aquisition handbook was developed as a management tool for the U.S. army communications electronics command (CECOM) product assurance and test engineers. The handbook provides customized clauses for R&M work statements in contracts and RFPs. these clauses address the many basic and optional task requirements that together form R&M programs, by providing guidance and implementation materials for tailoring the provided work statements. These customized clauses can then be assembled into a definitized program SOW and tailored to the phase of acquisition and the characteristics of the specific end item. In addition, the handbook contains contract data requirements list (CDRL) examples for use with the task work statement clauses that call out data deliverables. The handbook can also be used by prime contractors to generate an R&M SOW for subcontractor RFPs and contracts.