Hon. Nickolas Guertin

We build off of prior work related on Technical Reference Frameworks and map them to the DoD authorized acquisition pathways to show how the technical and business architectures of complex system acquisition can be aligned in order to reduce risk and improve outcomes.

In order to fulfill congressional mandates and timelines, DOT&E staff completed this critical Annual Report, including the introduction, prior to my taking the oath of office. I deeply appreciate their initiative and diligence. I have reviewed the report’s contents and fully support all programmatic findings and recommendations.

Fred Schenker and I describe a natural connection between the mature concept of Value Engineering with modern software development practices.

This paper investigates how layered business and technical architectures can leverage modular component design practices to establish new approaches for capability acquisition that are more effective than existing “system of systems” (SoS) strategies. We first examine proven methods, approaches, and patterns for crafting large-scale services, real-time capabilities, and military-specific Internet of Things (IoT). We then propose elements of a new approach that applies a coherent set of methods… Show more

This paper investigates how layered business and technical architectures can leverage modular component design practices to establish new approaches for capability acquisition that are more effective than existing “system of systems” (SoS) strategies. We first examine proven methods, approaches, and patterns for crafting large-scale services, real-time capabilities, and military-specific Internet of Things (IoT). We then propose elements of a new approach that applies a coherent set of methods to develop military mission capabilities as sets of composed modules.
Our approach builds on a broad range of prior work related to functional decomposition of requirements into modules of capabilities for deployment in an open environment. We also extend prior work related to using technical reference frameworks as foundations for modules that meet capability needs. We tie this prior work with emerging development practices to describe a new approach for crafting capability. Finally, we assemble these findings into a new overarching model of financial, organizational, programmatic, quality-management, and business patterns needed to deliver payloads onto fighting platforms more effectively. Implementing the recommendations in this paper will establish a DoD acquisition environment shaped to be more efficient, deliver much higher quality—with far greater innovation—in a fraction of the time. Show less

This paper examined the technologies and architecture patterns that are transforming software-intensive systems and the Internet of Things (IoT) that are currently being designed and implemented. The use of these practices should create an ensuing transformational shift in the relationships between the Test and Evaluation (T&E), development, and operational communities.

This paper proposes a new path towards a robust and affordable approach for product development. The architecture… Show more

This paper examined the technologies and architecture patterns that are transforming software-intensive systems and the Internet of Things (IoT) that are currently being designed and implemented. The use of these practices should create an ensuing transformational shift in the relationships between the Test and Evaluation (T&E), development, and operational communities.

This paper proposes a new path towards a robust and affordable approach for product development. The architecture itself, not just the content, should also be testable to its own set of requirements. As such, there needs to be a set of practices that can directly test such architecture characteristics of; flexibility, scalability, interoperability, etc., prior to making major investments in detailed development. Then, when the content of the components that make up the system are filled out, the test and evaluation process can validate and verify that the content is following the constraints of the architecture. In this way, when the full system is completed, the program is not at the beginning of traditional T&E, but at the end of the product development and test process, and quickly transition to fielding. Show less

Paul and I describe a new business model for the Navy based on a product-line concept of reusable capabilities for warfighting capability across platform types while also bringing third parties and non-traditional suppliers to the marketplace for adding new performance features.

This paper describes how the Navy is shifting its efforts toward open architectures that (1) are defined and managed by government/industry consortia and (2) can be used across multiple air, surface, or subsurface platforms, instead of allowing vendors to define proprietary platforms or even contractor/vendor-specific open architectures.

An IP Strategy is needed to take advantage of innovation and provide fair compensation. An IP Strategy will give program offices greater ability to control the life cycle development and acquisition of warfighting systems.
This is a product of a team chartered under USD(AT&L)'s Better Buying Power initiative and developed as a collaborative effort with participation from across the Department of Defense services.

These guidelines were developed as a result of the Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD/AT&L) Better Buying Power 2.0 (BBP 2.0) – Achieving Greater Efficiency and Productivity in Defense Spending initiative in which seven areas were identified for achieving greater efficiency and productivity in defense spending. Area 5, entitled “Promote Effective Competition,” further identified “emphasizing competition strategies and creating and maintaining competitive… Show more

These guidelines were developed as a result of the Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD/AT&L) Better Buying Power 2.0 (BBP 2.0) – Achieving Greater Efficiency and Productivity in Defense Spending initiative in which seven areas were identified for achieving greater efficiency and productivity in defense spending. Area 5, entitled “Promote Effective Competition,” further identified “emphasizing competition strategies and creating and maintaining competitive environments as an opportunity for improving our competitive posture within the Department.” These guidelines are intended to complement and work in concert with the four overarching principles identified in BBP 2.0 to: 1) think and not default to the “school solution;” 2) attract, train and empower acquisition professionals; 3) start with the basics – the acquisition fundamentals work; and 4) streamline decision making. Show less

This Department of the Navy (DON) SBIR/STTR Phase III Guidebook is a desk reference providing guidance to Program
Managers (PMs) and Deputy Program Managers (DPM), Heads of Contracting Activity (HCA) and Contracting Officers
(KO), and Small Business Professionals (SBP) on using SBIR/STTR technologies to:
 Implement SBIR/STTR inclusion requirements discussed in Interim Dept. of Defense (DoD) Instruction 5000.021
 Realize Better Buying Power 2.0 goals and objectives described in… Show more

This Department of the Navy (DON) SBIR/STTR Phase III Guidebook is a desk reference providing guidance to Program
Managers (PMs) and Deputy Program Managers (DPM), Heads of Contracting Activity (HCA) and Contracting Officers
(KO), and Small Business Professionals (SBP) on using SBIR/STTR technologies to:
 Implement SBIR/STTR inclusion requirements discussed in Interim Dept. of Defense (DoD) Instruction 5000.021
 Realize Better Buying Power 2.0 goals and objectives described in ASN(RDA) memoranda2 to increase
competition, reduce cost to field capability, deliver more innovation, and curb vendor lock in DON acquisition
 Expand SBIR/STTR transitions as required by the National Defense Authorization Act of 20123
 Realize ASN (RDA)’s DON small business goals4 Show less

The prosperity of our nation is driven by brilliant and hardworking entrepreneurs who convert
their intellectual property into revenue in our free market economy. Abraham Lincoln, in his
creation of the Patent Office, understood that guaranteeing an entrepreneur’s ownership of
his or her own intellectual property is the only thing that could add the “fuel of interest to the
fire of genius”1 necessary to incentivize entrepreneurs to take the risks and provide the sweat
equity… Show more

The prosperity of our nation is driven by brilliant and hardworking entrepreneurs who convert
their intellectual property into revenue in our free market economy. Abraham Lincoln, in his
creation of the Patent Office, understood that guaranteeing an entrepreneur’s ownership of
his or her own intellectual property is the only thing that could add the “fuel of interest to the
fire of genius”1 necessary to incentivize entrepreneurs to take the risks and provide the sweat
equity necessary to make our nation truly prosper. The resulting commercial business cycle,
that interposes the entrepreneur, intellectual property rights, venture capital, and a vast and
complex commercial market, has produced the world’s most innovative and extensive market
place. The efforts of these entrepreneurs, when harnessed by the Department of Defense,
built the world’s most advanced military. The extent to which an entrepreneur is able to
control the use of his or her intellectual property in this business partnership is a continuing
source of struggle. It pits a Federal Government that needs to minimize cost using the
mechanism of competition against an entrepreneur who seeks to protect his or her
intellectual property to stay in business. Show less

Tim, working with representatives of the Naval Open Architecture Enterprise Team (OAET), coordinated the development the predecessor of this document, the Department of the Navy’s Naval Open Architecture Contract Guidebook for Program Managers, version 2.0 (issued on April 22, 2010). The OAET, augmented with representatives from across the Department of Defense, including the Army and Air Force, developed and released the DoD Open System Architecture (OSA) Guidebook. The guidebook provides… Show more

Tim, working with representatives of the Naval Open Architecture Enterprise Team (OAET), coordinated the development the predecessor of this document, the Department of the Navy’s Naval Open Architecture Contract Guidebook for Program Managers, version 2.0 (issued on April 22, 2010). The OAET, augmented with representatives from across the Department of Defense, including the Army and Air Force, developed and released the DoD Open System Architecture (OSA) Guidebook. The guidebook provides recommendations for writing an OSA-based statement of work, guidance on special interest requirements, recommended contract line items, and guidance on obtaining intellectual property and data rights to support full life-cycle competition and recommended CDRLs. Programs can tailor the principles described in the guidebook to the acquisition of any system or service. The guide is intended to augment, rather than replace, existing contractual source materials such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). Show less

This strategy paper was developed by the Naval Open Systems Architecture Enterprise Team. The team was comprised of over 100 members from across the Navy and Marine Corps acquisition professional community representing such disciplines as program management, engineering, legal, contracting, logistics and other expertise. It was authorized by the Naval Acquisition Executive in October 2012 as the foundation for the plan against which progress was reported quarterly to Congress until October 2015.

This Guidebook contains recommendations and is offered with the understanding that individual Program Executive Offices (PEOs) and programs must have the flexibility to adapt its principles and guidance to meet their needs. This document is intended to augment, rather than replace, existing contractual source materials such as the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS).