Dept. of War

The following white papers provide detailed implementation plans to achieve your objectives.  • "Outcome-based Metrics + SE = Integrated Program Management"   • "Common Sense Project Management: “When you come to a fork in the road…”  • "Integrating the Embedded Software Path, Model-Based Systems Engineering, MOSA, and DE with  Program Management."   Please incorporate my recommendations into “to do lists” for Mr. Feinberg and Mr. Phelan and connect with Mr. Vought to develop an OMB remedy.

take the actions to start off the F-47 on the right foot and provide transparency and accountability for all major acquisition programs:   Revise the following documents for all programs or issue a temporary directive for the F-47: DAS, DoDI 5000.80, DODI 5000.87, DODI 5000.88, DE Strat, Systems Engineering Plan and IPMDAR Guide.  2. Update the SEP to reflect Boeing’s technical approach reflected in the Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP). 

By linking program manager and acquisition workforce performance evaluations to program outcomes, we can reward success and address underperformance.  Structure contracts with industry partners to incentivize on-time delivery, cost controls, and delivery to performance.   Structure contracts with industry partners to incentivize on-time  delivery, cost controls, and delivery to performance. 

For digital twin and model-based SE tools…improve policy, guidance, and digital standards consistent with commercial best practices.   I hope you agree with Lt. Gen. Richardson. He wrote “We agree the institutionalization of “going digital” must include program management if we are to be successful.”   

Halt the EVMS compliance review efforts and terminate related consulting and software license contracts. Second, direct your program managers to implement the policies and practices in my white papers, especially Common Sense Project Management: “When you come to a fork in the road….” Work with OMB to rescind the policy that requires compliance with EIA-748 guidelines. 

Improving the programmatic  infrastructure should include establishing a DE capability.   DE capability includes the goals of the DE Strategy to   a. Exchange information via automated transformations  b. Use the authoritative source of truth (ASoT) to:  • Produce digital artifacts, support reviews, and inform decisions  • Make informed and timely decisions to manage cost, schedule, performance, and risks.     

complete a comprehensive review of the standards, guidance, and policies relating to DE.  best practices for the use of DE tools (including digital twins and digital threads) at all stages of program design, development, and testing. current standards guiding the use of such DE tools.        

the reforms should lead to expedited outcomes and implementation of DE.  Both objectives require outcome-based metrics. Consequently, the reforms should abandon the NDIA’s  EVMS standard, SAE/EIA-748, and replace it with Project Management Institute (PMI) standards and  guides. The GAO provided justification to utilize PMI documents. 

Issue acquisition reform policy and develop tools for the use of AI with human oversight to manage cost, schedule, and performance within the digital engineering (DE) ecosystem and MBSE.   Please develop policy, provide guidance, and invest in AI tools. Then hold PAEs accountable to use AI for effective oversight. Use AI tools to ensure requirements traceability from the Acquisition Program Baseline to the Integrated Master Schedule.  

Letters since September 3 are posted on my website. They include engineering best practices that should be in a system engineering or project management standard.    

adopt strategic objectives and tactics herein.  Strategic objectives   1. Hold contractors and DoD program managers accountable for outcomes.  2. Tear down NDIA’s barrier to entry facing non-traditional defense contractors.  3. Eliminate regulations that increase costs and enable false reporting.  4. Institutionalize DE.    prioritization of data-driven oversight and decision-making.  digitizing the practice of acquisition.   

Neither DCMA nor former F-35 JPOs used outcome-based metrics. Please hold LT. Gen Masiello accountable for the program’s outcomes, use of outcome-based metrics, and institutionalizing DE.      

improve our data collection, analytics, and measurement capability and align with the cutting edge of 21st century corporate management best practices. data-driven oversight and decision-making will enable  more robust awareness of system performance in delivering results.  digital twin and model-based SE tools demonstrate the ability to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance system availability.  digitizing the practice of acquisition.  

implement requirements management tools for systems and software engineering programs. The tools should utilize requirements management best practices including requirements traceability, automation, acceptance criteria, verification links, and best practices for agile and development. 

best practices that should be added to the revised documents include:

· The product baseline and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and Minimum Viable Capability Release (MVCR) baselines.

· collection of DE metrics of schedule progress and quality towards the MVP and MVCR.

· Automated requirements traceability to completion criteria in the schedule.

· Measures used to track progress towards completing MVPs and MVCRs in the digital thread.

· The backlog in the digital thread.

· Testability requirements.

adopt strategic objectives and tactics herein.  Strategic objectives   1. Hold contractors and DoD program managers accountable for outcomes.  2. Tear down NDIA’s barrier to entry facing non-traditional defense contractors.  3. Eliminate regulations that increase costs and enable false reporting.  4. Institutionalize DE.    prioritization of data-driven oversight and decision-making.  digitizing the practice of acquisition.   

Neither DCMA nor former F-35 JPOs used outcome-based metrics. Please hold LT. Gen Masiello accountable for the program’s outcomes, use of outcome-based metrics, and institutionalizing DE.      

implement requirements management tools for  systems and software engineering programs. The tools should utilize requirements management best  practices including requirements traceability, automation, acceptance criteria, verification links, and  best practices for agile and development. 

Best practices:  The product baseline and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and Minimum Viable Capability Release (MVCR) baselines.  • collection of DE metrics of schedule progress and quality towards the MVP and MVCR.  • Automated requirements traceability to completion criteria in the schedule.  • Measures used to track progress towards completing MVPs and MVCRs in the digital thread.    backlog in the digital thread.  Testability requirements to test planning and cases. 

not an engineering standard. is a business standard, outside of the scope and technology area of the G-47 SE Committee. not a best practice on the engineering of   (4) quality, and (5) other areas conforming to broadly accepted engineering practices or specifications for a product, process, procedure, or test method.  systems. not within the scope of SAE International’s policies or of the SMC Org. and Operating Procedures ..Specify that its standards contain specific performance requirements and

Continued:    

are used for: (1) design standards, (2) parts standards, (3) minimum performance standards, (4) quality, and (5) other areas conforming to broadly accepted engineering practices or specifications for a material, product, process, procedure, or test method. EIA-748 is a business standard, not a SE standard. EIA-748E contains no broadly accepted engineering best practices or SE best practices.

expand the scope of DECM and DCMA EVMS compliance reviews. The added scope includes assessing the use of TPM. DECMs are also silent on progress against requirements, development maturity, and Minimum Viable Products. The gaps should be closed.

“Fixing broken procurement processes…applying proven business strategies and techniques, we can eliminate inefficiencies, reduce waste.    

Strengthening contractor accountability and incentives for meeting cost and schedule goals will also drive improvements in lead ship performance.

Use every tool available to drive better value, develop and enforce better contract standards, and hold people—and companies—responsible when they fall short.   leverage every available tool so that the Department obtains the best value in its contracts.  

Gen. Thompson committed to develop and deliver a DE ecosystem that enables the Space Force to rapidly mature innovative concepts into integrated solutions and deliver warfighting capabilities faster. Please consider my advice for the Space Force’s  success.  

The continued use of EIA-748, which is silent on engineering practices, DE, and the product scope, is antithetical to the effective use of DE and to attaining the schedule and cost benefits of the DE ecosystem.