According to the introduction of this new DoD Corrosion Prevention and Control Planning Guidebook for Military Systems and Equipment,, “the purpose of this Guidebook is to assist DoD and contractor Program Offices (POs), Program Managers (PMs), and Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) in effectively managing corrosion during the entire acquisition process, including sustainment. It is one part of the body of knowledge provided in several policies and other guidance. The goal of this Guidebook is to assist in reducing ownership costs and increasing system availability through improved CPC planning and execution of an effective CPC strategy. This Guidebook contains baseline information and explanation for establishing a well-structured CPC program. The management concepts and ideas presented in this Guidebook encourage use of time-tested practices and suggest a process to address a CPC program without prescribing specific methods or tools.
The information presented within this Guidebook is developed from best practice lessons learned. PMs and other acquisition professionals are encouraged to apply the fundamentals presented in this Guidebook to all acquisition efforts, both large and small, and to all elements of a program (system, subsystem, hardware, components, support equipment, automatic test systems, training systems, information technology, spares, and repair parts). CPC is a fundamental management tool for effectively addressing and reducing corrosion. POs/PMs should tailor their approach to fit their acquisition program, statutory requirements, and lifecycle phase. This Guidebook applies to all DoD Components and should be used in conjunction with related directives, instructions, policy memoranda, or regulations issued to implement mandatory requirements.”
According to the executive summary, “corrosion is not simply a sustainment concern; it needs to be addressed from program/system/equipment inception to disposal (i.e., “cradle to grave”). Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPC) at the early stages in a system development can result in a reduction of Total Ownership Cost (TOC). In addition, conducting effective and timely CPC planning is not as elusive and difficult as it may seem.
What is considered corrosion? According to 10 U.S.C. 2228, corrosion is the deterioration of a material or its properties due to a reaction of that material with its chemical environment. Corrosion is far more widespread and detrimental than merely rust, and much more needs to be considered. This includes polymers, composites, ceramic, and alloys.
CPC is the rigorous application of management principles, engineering design and analysis, quality assurance (QA), non-destructive inspection (NDI), manufacturing, operations, and support technologies and practices to prevent the start of corrosion, avoid functional impairment due to corrosion, and define processes for the tracking and repair of corrosion problems. Although not required as an element (e.g., Logistics, Test and Evaluation (T&E), Manpower, Personnel, and Training (MP&T) of DoD Risk Management (RM), incorporating CPC as part of your RM is an effective way to provide tracking and mitigation of corrosion for the system/equipment.
The content of this Guidebook was developed from broad and in-depth military and industry experience regarding the protection of systems/equipment from corrosion and its effects. This Guidebook provides:
- An overview of tools, techniques, and best practices for evaluating and implementing CPC in materials and processes;
- A discussion of material selection practices and finish treatments that positively impact the corrosion resistance of a system/equipment during all acquisition phases;
- Guidance on program management that can be implemented in organizations to address corrosion issues and develop CPC plans and that describes requirements and methods for:
- Establishing and managing a Corrosion Prevention Team (CPT) (or equivalent functioning activity) that is appropriately integrated into all Integrated Product Teams (IPTs); and
- Developing and implementing a Corrosion Prevention and Control Plan (CPCP).
This Guidebook is designed to assist the acquisition workforce and the system procuring activities in the development and execution of an effective CPC strategy. This Guidebook provides suggestions to the acquisition and sustainment workforce to affect and improve CPC planning. It focuses on these keys to success:
- Good planning and effective execution;
- Proper timing, especially focusing on the acquisition phase of the program;
- Proper resources and focus, especially the necessary funding and expertise;
- Contracting, especially influencing the Request for Proposal (RFP) and its contents; and
- Integration of CPC planning and execution into other mainstream acquisition processes, such as program management, systems engineering, life cycle logistics, T&E, contracting, and budgeting.
To make this Guidebook easy to use and relevant to individuals who have to plan and execute a CPC strategy, the five enclosures target the acquisition phases of a program/system/equipment. Further, each phase-focused enclosure is broken down into six key functional areas:
- Management;
- Systems Engineering;
- Life Cycle Logistics;
- Test & Evaluation;
- Contracting; and
- Cost Estimating and Budget”
