Systems/Software ICM Workshop Acquisition and Process Issues Working Group Rick Selby and Rich Turner Systems/Software ICM Workshop July 14-17, 2008 Washington DC

Some Quotes for Context Setting ● "The only way we will have large acquisition programs on schedule, within budget, and performing as expected, is for everyone - from Congress down to the suppliers - to all stop lying to each other at the same time." ● "Software's just another specialty discipline and doesn't deserve special attention. Integrating software engineering into the development is the job of the chief system engineer." ● "It takes so long for a program to reach deployment that we are essentially acquiring legacy systems." ● "Spiral process is nothing more than the vee chart rolled up." ● "There is no such thing as an emergent requirement." ● "Evolutionary acquisition is just a ploy to excuse the software guys’ incompetence and let programs spiral forever without having to deliver something."

Some Topics for Discussion: Acquisition and Process ● Quality Factor Tradeoffs –Integrating hardware and software quality factor evidence planning and preparation guidelines –Coordinating single-quality-factor IPTs ● Cost and Risk –Budgeting for systems and software risk mitigation –Risk-driven earned value management –Translating shortfalls in feasibility evidence into next-increment risk management plans ● Requirements –Concurrently engineering vs. allocating system, hardware, software, and human factors requirements –Methods for dealing with requirements emergence and rapid change ● Competitive Prototyping –Supporting value-adding continuity of prototype development and evaluation teams ● Topic Specifics –Synchronizing different-length hardware and software increments –Early hardware-software integration: hardware surrogates –Contracting for 3-team developer/V&Ver/next-increment rebaseliner incremental development

©USC-CSSE Incremental Commitment Life Cycle Process Stage I: DefinitionStage II: Development and Operations

Understanding ICM Model for Software ● Reconciling the milestones –Where are LCO/LCA/IOC and SRR/PDR/CDR? –When are the downselects: 3 to 2, 2 to 1? ● How to drive behavior –RFP language –Award fee –Large carrot (sole winner of major program) ● How long does the competitive phase last (ends at Milestone B, ends later, etc)? ● Create a “whole new contractor role” that gets awarded to the 2-to-1 downselect non-winner –External evaluators come into reviews (“air dropped”) and have a high entry barrier and limited context to achieve success –Loss of valuable expertise in the non-winner –Non-winner becomes the “evaluator” of evidence throughout the program ● What kinds of evidence/prototypes are needed for what kinds of risks? ● Funding –Who pays for pre vs post 2-to-1 downselect (what color)? ● How do you use CP to do: –New approaches for model definition and validation –Quality attribute trades (non-functional)