Our Work
Policy Resources for Membership
NDIA’s Strategy & Policy Unit acts as a resource for all our members’ policy needs and serves as a thought leader throughout the defense community. We leverage subject matter experts serving as NDIA Fellows and Junior Fellows to contribute to our research and provide commentary on our blog. Regular events allow NDIA members to engage with leaders in Congress and the Department of Defense. We also carry out the following activities, all focused on ensuring a healthy, resilient, and robust defense industrial base.
Legislative Activities
Engagement on Legislation: We further the interests of the defense industrial base by engaging Congress on the National Defense Authorization Act, the budget, and standalone legislation. Through our 501(c)(3) status, we maintain a reputation as an honest advocate for our members.
Education: Quarterly briefings of congressional staff and Member- level events provide a platform for policymakers to engage and understand industry’s perspective on legislative issues. NDIA members are often asked to participate in panels or speak at these events.
Communication: NDIA members receive access to the Weekly Policy Digest, an email roundup of news, legislative and regulatory policies, and upcoming events related to the defense industry.
Collaboration: NDIA contributes to the Acquisition Reform Working Group (ARWG) in collaboration with other like-minded industry associations. Input from ARWG members is directly delivered to policymakers through an annual joint submission of legislative proposals.
Executive Branch Activities
Engagement on Regulation: Throughout regulation development, we engage policy makers to communicate NDIA member views and explain the impact of proposed regulations on the defense industrial base. NDIA submits official comments and authors letters in response to requests for information and to highlight class deviations. NDIA also conducts 12866 meetings with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to impact draft regulations prior to publication.
Regulation Tracker: Members have access to our Regulations Tracker, a downloadable and comprehensive database of open regulations relevant to the defense community.
Agency Meetings: Our team conducts quarterly meetings with representatives, including leadership, of the agencies below, allowing NDIA members to raise questions about pertinent or time-sensitive issues:
- Department of Defense, Defense Pricing and Contracting
- Office of Federal Procurement Policy
- Defense Contract Management Agency
- Defense Contract Audit Agency
Contributions to GAO: The Government Accountability Office regularly asks NDIA to provide comments and information on behalf of our members for ongoing studies and reports.
Judicial Branch Activities
Amicus Support: NDIA submits amicus briefs in support of our members. We regularly engage in the amicus process at all levels of the U.S. justice system to include the Supreme Court.
Amicus Brief Fund: NDIA members can directly support our amicus brief process by contributing to the NDIA Amicus Brief Fund, a fund used solely to support our amicus efforts.