References:
Department of Defense Priorities and Allocations Manual DoD 4400.1-M
DoC DPAS Regulation - 15 CFR 700
DoC DPAS Homepage

DCMA DPAS Training Presentation

The purpose of DPAS is to assure the timely availability of industrial resources to meet current national defense and emergency preparedness program requirements and to provide an operating system to support rapid industrial response in a national emergency. The Defense Production Act of 1950 authorized the President to require preferential treatment of national defense programs. Executive Order 12919 put Department of Commerce in charge of program. 15 CFR 700 provides rules for DPAS program. DoD 4400.1-M provides guidance for DoD activities.

All prime contracts, subcontracts or purchase orders in support of an authorized program are given a priority rating.  A DX rating is assigned to those programs of the highest national priority. The President has to approve a DX rating for a program.  A DO rating is assigned to those programs that are vital to national defense. The Secretary of Defense has to approve a DO rating for a program.  An unrated order is a commercial order or a DoD order that is not ratable. A DX rating takes priority over a DO rating which takes priority over an unrated order. Rated programs are also given a program identifier symbol. Examples are A1 for Aircraft and A3 for ships. The program identifier symbol does not, by itself, indicate any priority.

There are four basic provisions under DPAS:

(1)     Mandatory Acceptance
 A contractor, subcontractor, or supplier shall accept a rated order when:
            They make the item
            Normal terms of sale apply
            They can meet delivery dates required the contract

Exceptions are found in 15 CFR 700.13(b)

(2)     Mandatory Extension
Contractors are responsible for extending the received rating to their suppliers to obtain items needed to fill rated orders or to obtain replacements of inventoried items

(3)     Priority Scheduling
Operations, including the acquisition of all needed production items, shall be scheduled to satisfy the delivery requirements of each rated order

(4)     Customer Notification Requirements
A rated order shall be accepted or rejected, in writing, within 15 working days for DO rated orders and 10 days for DX rated orders

The DCMA DPAS Manager is the primary point of contact for DPAS related issues and is required to provide DPAS training to contractor and CMO personnel on an as needed basis. The CMO should utilize Preaward Surveys and Post Award Conferences to provide DPAS information to new contractors. The District DPAS officer is available to assist the CMO DPAS officer on questions of DPAS policies or procedures. The CMO will provide the District DPAS officer with the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of the CMO DPAS officer and provide updates as changes occur.

DPAS is meant to be largely self-executing with a minimum of oversight. However, production or delivery problems may arise that require additional assistance. Program/Logistics managers can utilize Special Priority Assistance to: expedite deliveries of rated orders, resolve delivery conflicts between rated orders, assist in placing rated orders with suppliers, locate suppliers to fill a rated order, verify urgency of rated orders, rate items not automatically ratable, and ensure compliance with DPAS regulations. To request Special Priority Assistance, a Special Priorities Assistance Request Form BXA-999 is submitted to the CMO.  The CMO DPAS officer shall determine if the information is complete and accurate, and ensure reasonable expediting efforts have been exhausted, documenting all communications and actions taken. The case shall then be forwarded to the DPAS officer at the Government activity that awarded the end item contract. Concurrently, the CMO DPAS officer shall notify the District DPAS officer and the HQ DPAS POC.

When a contractor consistently fails to meet the DPAS contractual requirements on its rated orders, corrective action shall be requested (For levels of corrective action, refer to the PROCAS One Book Chapter).  Where available, Management Councils should be utilized to address difficult problems.  DPAS contractual requirements include timely notification of acceptance/rejection of rated order, extension of rating to sub-contractors, and priority scheduling. If a contractor fails to meet the delivery schedule on rated orders due to giving a higher priority to a lower rated or unrated order, they are in violation of DPAS regulations. In those cases where the CMO is unable to get the contractor to correct DPAS violations, the case may be forwarded through the DPAS Officer at the Government activity that awarded the end item contract to the Department of Commerce for assistance.