Software program engineering strategies proceed to evolve and enhance, with SEI analysis taking part in a key position in serving to the Division of Protection (DoD) acquire the advantages of those enhancements and drive adjustments to revolutionize software program acquisition. Our work helps simplify guidelines, adapt practices to allow decisive actions, enhance workforce functionality, and speed up adoption of economic and scientific improvements. Since its inception, the SEI has been main the DoD’s embrace of trendy software program engineering strategies, comparable to Agile and DevSecOps. The SEI contributed its experience to the event of the Software program Acquisition Pathway (SWP), which was issued in 2020 as Division of Protection Instruction 5000.87. The coverage departed from a long time of rules geared towards {hardware} acquisition by encouraging these trendy software program practices to streamline the event and acquisition of software-enabled techniques to ship capabilities on the pace of ever-changing mission wants.
The discharge of Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth’s March 6 memo, Directing Trendy Software program Acquisition to Maximize Lethality, launched a brand new crucial that DoD packages should enhance and speed up their adoption of the SWP as the popular path for software program acquisition. The March 2025 memo goals to scale up SWP successes throughout your entire Protection Division to hurry, streamline, and safe the event and supply of software-driven mission capabilities, from the again workplace to the entrance strains. As we define on this publish, this concentrate on the SWP has been the catalyst behind our efforts to develop a new assortment of instruments to assist DoD packages adapt their acquisition practices to speed up software program supply.
A Transient Introduction to the Software program Acquisition Pathway
Not like prior generations of acquisition coverage, the SWP is designed for software-intensive techniques. Its goal is “to facilitate speedy and iterative supply of software program functionality to the person.” The SWP emphasizes trendy, iterative software program growth strategies, automated tooling (together with automated testing and cybersecurity testing), and energetic person engagement to ship software program capabilities on the pace of want and allow customers to adapt to altering situations. Determine 1 beneath exhibits the iterative nature of engagement between customers, program workplaces, and product groups underneath the SWP.
Implementing the SWP: 5 Essential Questions
Prior to now 5 years our SEI group of software program acquisition consultants has collaborated extensively with DoD program groups and coverage homeowners to implement the SWP in several contexts, establish boundaries and challenges, and monitor outcomes. In the middle of that work, we now have recognized widespread questions and hindrances that packages encounter as they undertake the SWP. Addressing these questions usually warrants further instruments and assets to allow groups to place their SWP packages for achievement.
The most typical questions we encounter about launching SWP packages embody
- Are we actually able to undertake the SWP? Coming into the SWP Planning part requires a signed Acquisition Determination Memorandum (ADM) and draft Functionality Wants Assertion (CNS). However there’s much more to being adequately organized and geared up for the profitable execution of an SWP effort. It’s not sufficient, for instance, for this system’s product group to only do Agile. Program groups usually don’t have expertise implementing trendy software program growth approaches and want to realize an understanding of what these approaches imply in observe.
- What’s a Functionality Wants Assertion (CNS), and the way precisely can we develop one that matches our state of affairs? Many customers and program workplace groups battle to shift from a Functionality Growth Doc (CDD) articulation of must crafting a CNS on the applicable stage. This battle usually leads to a CNS that’s merely CDD content material that has been copied and pasted into the CNS template. The up-front stage of funding within the specificity required to create a CDD runs counter to the pliability and adaptableness the SWP is designed to allow. An applicable CNS offers the suitable stage of element to allow the wanted flexibility.
- How can we assess progress and establish dangers early sufficient to make corrections and forestall points? Program groups usually study a slip in a supply date or value overrun too late to do something about it. Even when groups assessment metrics supplied by their product group, these issues aren’t obvious. Engineering knowledge is a strategic asset, and efficient metrics packages have to allow program groups to know how technical metrics drive actual mission worth.
- How can we construct a strong person settlement (UA) and join it to worth assessments (VAs)? A UA is a crucial handshake that explicitly hyperlinks the event of capabilities to real-world warfighter outcomes, and VAs present suggestions and return on funding knowledge on the worth delivered. Usually, UAs are carried out on the flawed stage (too far faraway from the day-to-day work of customers), or they don’t sufficiently contemplate several types of finish customers who’ve a stake within the functionality being delivered.
- How can we scope and sequence a minimal viable product (MVP), minimal viable functionality launch (MVCR), and subsequent releases? Many program groups battle with successfully defining and scoping an MVP and MVCR, resulting in misaligned expectations between this system group and stakeholder teams (e.g., warfighters, certifiers, testers).
Answering these 5 important questions constitutes the bedrock mandatory to realize profitable SWP acquisitions. Getting them proper is tough work. Happily, program groups don’t have to go it alone.
Introducing the Software program Acquisition Go Bag
It’s a reality amongst warfighters that step one in finishing a mission is determined by the load they keep it up their again. On the SEI a key tenet of our work focuses on equipping the warfighter with the suitable gear for his or her mission wants. With that in thoughts, the SEI pronounces the launch of the Software program Acquisition Go Bag.
The Go Bag will characteristic an extensible assortment of tailorable kits that program groups can use to allow the supply of software program capabilities on the pace of want. Every package accommodates instruments and strategies for executing and implementing the weather of your software program program. Every package accommodates Tactical Guides on matters comparable to collaborating with stakeholders, acquiring and leveraging the suitable knowledge, managing expectations, stopping (or recovering from!) widespread pitfalls, and measuring what issues to remain on the right track.
The primary package to be launched is the SWP Necessities Package, which is able to embody the primary three Tactical Guides:
- SWP: Prepared, Set, Go! offers a mechanism for assessing the challenge’s readiness to undertake the SWP, figuring out any shortfalls, and acquiring the assets, info, and help wanted for achievement.
- Cracking the CNS Code delivers a methodology for making use of the overall steering of the SWP to particular packages and initiatives with their very own distinctive goals, constraints, and challenges.
- Pack Mild, Measure Proper accommodates steering for packages to develop and constantly apply significant measures of progress, high quality, assets, and worth to their SWP program.
Suggestions from early customers will assist us to prioritize matters to handle within the subsequent set of Tactical Guides:
- Constructing a Worth-Oriented Person Settlement will provide a scientific strategy that packages can use for figuring out user-community individuals and explaining their position, affect, and anticipated commitments. This strategy allows packages to explicitly combine negotiated VAs, based mostly on user-community enter, into this system’s measurement plan.
- MVP, MVCR, and Launch Planning will clarify strategies that packages can use to get from growing a CNS to delivering an MVP and MVCR, together with dealing with non-capability objects (e.g., behaviors of interfacing techniques, high quality attributes comparable to maintainability).
Go Bag belongings will probably be launched iteratively as we establish and prioritize wants with stakeholders and obtain your suggestions. Each few weeks, we are going to launch a brand new Tactical Information and host a companion webcast. As we work with program groups, we may even repeatedly replace the Go Bag with new kits, supplemental instruments, templates, and extra—all based mostly on confirmed profitable practices. Click on right here to be told of recent releases and updates in device growth.
Go Baggage aren’t only for packages on the SWP, both. Our SEI group has helped lots of of DoD packages ship software-enabled functionality by means of our distinctive integration of data-driven insights, software program engineering analysis, and acquisition science. We’re packing that have into the Go Bag so program groups can implement confirmed practices to drive profitable outcomes.
The (Software program Acquisition) Pathway Forward
To kick off the launch of the Software program Acquisition Go Bag, we’re internet hosting a reside webcast on October 22. Be a part of us to be taught extra about this effort and share your ideas on the Go Bag Necessities Package. Over the approaching weeks, we are going to announce the discharge of every new Tactical Information and host an related webcast about each by way of the Go Bag announcement mailing record.
