WHAT IS A PROGRAM OF RECORD (POR)?

There is an apparent inconsistency in the use of the phrase "Program of Record." According to the Defense Acquisition University, a Program of Record is a program which has survived the POM process and is listed in a Future Year Defense Program (FYDP). The two primary elements of a FYDP are Program Element (PE) and Resource Identification Code (RIC).^[1]  Others use the term “Program of Record” more loosely to indicate a platform or program that could hypothetically use a technology. If you are asked to provide a Program of Record, be sure to ask the requesting entity how they are using the term.

Updated by Kristin Stiner, November 2023