Project 2025 Tracker / What’s done, what’s next

4. Department of Defense · Minor

Decentralize Defense Acquisition University and let it accredit non-DOD institutions

Attempted

98 4. Department of Defense

“Decentralize Defense Acquisition University (DAU) offerings and expand the DAU mission to include accreditation of non-DOD institutions. … DAU has become an unnecessary barrier to entry in a career field that is vital to the DOD mission.”

What has happened

  1. Attempted

    The FY2026 NDAA sec. 825 requires the Secretary, acting through the Acquisition Innovation Research Center, to assess the Defense Acquisition University and report to Congress within a year, evaluating among other things "the extent to which DAU uses external experts and academic institutions to inform and enhance the curriculum" and "the extent to which the DAU uses commercially available training, including an identification of opportunities for the DAU to use certifications." Sec. 822 modifies the requirements for DAU's President. A step toward decentralized, externally sourced training; DAU has been given no accreditation mission and its offerings have not been decentralized. "Defense Acquisition University" appears once in the Federal Register since 2025-01-20, in an unrelated contracting order.

Research log

What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence

Research notes

Neither half of the Quote — decentralized offerings, and accreditation of non-DOD institutions — is in force. What exists is an enacted statutory requirement to assess exactly those questions.

One negative search covered this item and its cluster of neighboring asks.

FY2027 NDAA, House-passed (reviewed 2026-09-24). H.R. 8800 passed the House 216–212 on 2026-07-22 (Roll no. 278) and was received in the Senate on 2026-09-14. Engrossed text: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr8800eh/html/BILLS-119hr8800eh.htm. Sec. 852 creates a Chief Acquisition Talent Officer of the Department of Defense. It makes the President of the Defense Acquisition University report directly to that officer, and it requires DAU’s curriculum “and, as appropriate, other education and training providers supporting the acquisition workforce” to align with the acquisition system. Nothing in it decentralizes DAU’s offerings or gives DAU a mission to accredit non-DOD institutions. No event. The rung stays at attempted on FY2026 NDAA sec. 825.

Action
expand
Object
Defense Acquisition University
ID
153