Making MANPRINT (Manpower and Personnel Integration) Count in the Acquisition Process

Abstract

The Manpower and Personnel Integration (MANPRINT) program is a comprehensive management and technical effort that focuses on the continuous integration of the six MANPRINT domains (Human factors engineering, manpower, personnel, training, system safety, and health hazards) into the Materiel Acquisition and Development Process (MADP). In this report, the implementation of MANPRINT during the acquisition of the Airborne Target Handover System/ Avionics Integration (ATHS/AI) for the Apache (AH-64A) aircraft is described, and the contribution of MANPRINT concepts to the definition of the system's performance requirements is detailed. Researchers concluded that using MANPRINT concepts in the acquisition of the ATHS/AI for the AH-64A helped to define a system that should reduce crew task times, number of crew procedures, and maintenance complexity. As a historical overview of the procurement of the ATHS/ AI for the AH-64A, the report describes how MANPRINT issues influenced the initial Product Improvement Program (PIP) and the Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) and describes how MANPRINT concepts were conveyed in the Request for Proposal (RFP). The application of MANPRINT in the Source Selection Process (SSP) is described and the lessons learned from this experience are summarized. These lessons are strategies that are potentially useful to other MANPRINT practitioners.