General guidance for the Final Recommendations section includes:

- This section of an ICD identifies one or more paths forward to satisfy the capability requirements and close or mitigate associated capability gaps identified in the document. Ensure recommendations reflect a thorough understanding of the threat considerations, intelligence support requirements, and capabilities for the functional and operational areas.

- Final recommendations for an ICD include consideration of:

1. DOTmLPF-P Recommendations: Identify DOTmLPF-P Recommendations [Both part of and independent of materiel solutions]

2. Material Approach Recommendations: If the requirement cannot be met by using non-materiel approaches - Specify the preferred type of materiel approach to eliminate or mitigate each capability gap. This information is used by the Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) to guide the Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) conducted during the Materiel Solution Analysis (MSA) phase of the acquisition process. Types of materiel approaches:

- Evolution of a fielded capability solution(s) with significant capability improvement, including development and fielding of improved IS, improved components or subsystems to address high obsolescence rates, or other upgrades and product improvements.

- Replacement or recapitalization of a fielded capability solution(s) with significant capability improvement. Describe plans to retire fielded capability solution(s) as the new capability solution(s) is brought into service and whether quantities in the joint force should be reduced based on increases in capability.

- Introduction of a transformational capability solution(s) that differ significantly in form, function, and/or operation from fielded capability solution(s). This may address gaps associated with a new mission, describe breakout capability solution(s) that offer significant improvement in capability, or transform the ways of accomplishing a mission.

- Increase integration/interoperability to evolve and combine existing and new systems to create a synergistic System of Systems (SoS). Examples include creating joint integrated kill chains for air and missile defense or integrated SoS for creating layered defense designs.

- Leverage S&T to reduce operational risk(s), ensuring technologies are sufficiently mature prior to initiation of a new or enhanced capability solution.

- Identify ongoing or new developmental technologies that have the potential to eliminate or mitigate capability gaps.

- Emphasize technologies that enhance joint warfighting capability against emerging threats and/or increase affordability within the capability requirements portfolio.

3. Acceptance of Operational Risk: Not every identified capability gap needs to be immediately addressed by a capability solution or S&T effort. A relatively low priority of the capability requirement to the overall joint force may not justify the lifecycle costs of taking further action at the present time.

4. Affordability:

- A regular ICD is solution agnostic. An accurate cost estimate is extremely difficult before a solution decision.

- Keep in mind, multiple capabilities may be based on your ICD, even by other Services, and you will probably not have insight into these efforts.

- A constrained fiscal environment with competing demands for resources requires that you consider affordability in the development of an ICD.

- Identify key factors that may be, or may become, significant cost drivers for potential materiel solutions that may flow from your ICD-this will help focus S&T risk reduction efforts.

- The MDA will consider affordability at the MDD to inform the AoA.

- An IS-ICD is not solution agnostic, the solution has been determined-software, and a life cycle cost estimate is required.

- Affordability is a commitment of the service that funding exists in the service's budget to support a program to close or mitigate some or all of the capability gaps identified in the ICD. Remember, the ICD leads to a Materiel Development Decision during which the service's SAE begins an acquisition program to develop a weapon system.