Systems Engineering

Abstract

Project Code 142 activities include the following functions: • Support acceleration of USD(R&E)’s modernization initiatives and Principal Directors’ Science and Technology (S&T) roadmap investments. • Develop and establish DoD-level policy, guidance, and workforce development efforts ensuring systems engineering rigor in acquisition to drive the development of fully capable and supportable weapons systems. • Advance the principles of interoperability, integration, modularity, and open systems to improve requirements, architecture, design, development and overall acquisition and sustainment of weapon systems. • Develop education and training materials for instructing, maintaining, and enhancing the defense acquisition workforce. Activities include: (1) developing guidance to enhance Engineering and Technical Management (ETM) and Test and Evaluation (T&E) acquisition career planning and progression; and (2) monitoring and facilitating Defense Acquisition University (DAU) updates to the systems engineering, quality and specialty engineering courses, to ensure the curriculum represents the education and training requirements necessary to be a viable team member in the acquisition process. • Improve the DoD’s capabilities in specialty engineering and software engineering through policy, program oversight, fostering practice and technology improvements, initiating long-term strategic improvements, and collaborating with industry. • Advance DoD engineering practices through the development and use of methods, processes, and tools, such as digital engineering, modeling and simulation, and model-based systems engineering, for engineering on weapon systems. • Serve as the Defense Standardization Executive and oversee the Defense Standardization Program. The following efforts are being re-aligned to Project Code 144, Development Test Evaluation and Assessments, starting in FY 2022: • Provide Systems Engineering support to MDAPs. Review the systems engineering plans (SEPs) and activities for major defense acquisition programs (MDAPs). • Monitor and advise Under Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering) (USD(R&E)) and Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Sustainment) (USD(A&S)) on technical and engineering aspects of MDAPs and select alternate acquisition pathway programs to ensure they are adequate to support fielding and the achievement of cost, schedule and performance goals to include readiness, i.e. producibility, reliability, maintainability, sustainment, and other considerations. • Conducts and approves independent technical risk assessments (ITRAs) on ACAT-1D MDAPs. Reviews and approves ITRAs on select high priority ACAT 1B/1C MDAPs. • Conceive plans and conducts Preliminary and Critical Design Review Assessments of MDAPs under the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) purview. • Provides basis for critical technology and manufacturing process determinations and certifications of MDAPs under OSD purview in support of U.S.C. 10 Sec 2366 requirements. • Provide risk assessments to support the development of cost, schedule, and performance targets required by U.S.C. 10 Sec 2448a. • Support acceleration of USD(R&E)’s modernization initiatives in accordance with the National Defense Strategy. • Conduct other technical reviews as requested, such as Nunn-McCurdy certification reviews, Non-Advocate Reviews, focused technical assessments, and software readiness reviews to identify and mitigate program risk. • Oversee Service and other Component organizations’ implementation of engineering initiatives and approve or conduct independent assessments. • Guide Service and other component organizations in the development planning process to ensure proposed MDAP programs are executable within acceptable levels of risk.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2022
• Source ID: 142_0605142D8Z_6_0400_PB_2022

Tags

Fields of Study

• Engineering

Readers

• Defense Acquisition Program Management
• Software Engineering.