A 27 Dec 2010 SecDef memorandum not only emphasized SecDef's direction that "any new proposal or initiative, large or small, be it policy, program, or ceremony, come with a cost estimate" but also directed that the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) tools available at https://www.cape.osd.mil/CostGuidance/ will be used after 1 Feb 2011 to calculate the costs associated with the efforts. After 1 Feb 2011, every new proposal shall come with a cost estimate , and every report or study shall include the cost of that study on the front cover.
