Whether it's to launch our satellites into space or supplement our military communication satellites with commercial communication satellites, DoD will purchase that capability as a service instead of procuring the rockets or satellites.
This effort could lead to yet another capability being procured as a service. Please note that you should expect to receive a response from our team, regarding your inquiry, within 2 business days. Get the App. Turn on more accessible mode. Turn off more accessible mode. Program Management Acquisition professionals in the Program Management career field are concerned with all of the functions of a program management office PMO or a program executive office PEO.
More ». The prudent baseline approach may be to settle for the conventional speed torpedo in order to avoid the side effects of incorporating the advanced technology supercavitation torpedo. Here we lack experience based on iterations of usage. While speed is nice to have, stealth is a necessity and cannot be traded off. Better may be the enemy of good enough. The rubber or synthetic crystal polymer tiles contain thousands of tiny dimples and are applied to the hulls of submarines to absorb sound emissions and improve noise and vibration management.
The problem lies in the effectiveness and durability of the glue that attaches the tiling to the hull. The glue may give way under environmental conditions, including large temperature swings, pressures at 1, feet below the surface, and the friction of moving under water.
The weak link is Australia, although its proximity to China ensures its participation. Australia lacks the knowledge, skills, and behaviors in nuclear engineering to lead in designing, building, integrating, testing, evaluating, and operating a nuclear-propelled submarine fleet focused on stealth and sustainability. The planned month study is unlikely to remedy the situation.
A seasoned software engineering manager, technologist, and independent consultant, he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the author and the magazine. Acquisition teams must deal with advanced technologies, challenging operational environments, frequent policy changes, fiscal uncertainty, evolving threats, and changing requirements.
Stakeholders demand we go faster and deliver high quality systems that are supportable and easy to maintain. Unfortunately, program progress often will deviate from the program plan, necessitating adjustments to stay on track.
Duct tape seems to be one of the more popular workaround tools to fix everything from a hole in a garden hose to a broken snow shovel. The workaround may be a temporary fix until we can employ a more suitable or enduring solution. Given the many unexpected events in defense acquisition, effective workarounds can help program teams avoid costly work stoppages and maintain progress. However, the temporary fix can be critical in allowing the effort or task to continue, even if it is not an optimal solution.
The unexpected aspect is important because it suggests we do not have the luxury of planning well in advance. Unlike risk mitigation plans that anticipate negative events, the need for a workaround is difficult to forecast.
During the first Gulf War in , distributing the Air Tasking Order ATO to the execution organizations was challenging due to communications and interoperability issues. The ATO disseminates a comprehensive listing of air missions for a hour cycle and includes the aircraft, call signs, times, and other mission information needed for coordinated air operations.
This workaround kept a major program moving forward, enabling deployment of a critical capability on schedule and within budget. The program was a command-and-control aircraft upgrade to the mission system, sensors, and communications. As background, the initial estimates for software required to perform the mission system functions were an order of magnitude lower than what was needed late in development.
Unfortunately, due to technical, budget, and schedule constraints and the original software load estimates, the mission computing design could not be upgraded during development, leaving a critical system deficiency unresolved.
The possibility of delaying the program until implementation of this major design change would threaten support for the program, even to the point of a possible termination. We knew that some of the tests were successful so some mission scenarios must have prevented excessive stress. After detailed analysis, we believed the system could function without crashing if the users followed prescribed procedures to limit processing demand.
The workaround simply involved running fewer applications on the mission system. While not an optimal solution, it enabled operational use and subsequent fielding of an initial capability. This collaborative effort involved multiple stakeholders, including senior acquisition decision makers, contractors, program offices, testers, resource sponsors, and users.
It resulted in a path forward for the program to deploy on schedule with a release contingent on implementing the design change. A notional process model illustrates these steps Figure 1. Tailoring these steps, including skipping and conducting steps concurrently, is appropriate based on the situation. Part of this overall problem analysis includes Steps 2 and 3. Note the feedback loop as more information becomes available. Constraints e. As highlighted in the previous example, leveraging existing data to analyze both the cause of the problem and potential mitigating steps can help identify alternatives.
Models and other program evaluation tools can help accelerate this step. A thorough job of problem analysis will help facilitate this step. Initial testing may involve simulations and data analysis rather than live testing in an operational environment. Initial implementation may also involve testing and data gathering to verify the workaround works as expected. A feedback loop is depicted that represents the additional data collected after the workaround is implemented.
This data helps to refine the workaround and helps inform requirements and design features for the long-term fix. We attempt to optimize the long-term solution with the data and user feedback associated with the workaround. As the Einstein quote suggests, we should prioritize time for analyzing the problem versus analyzing solutions.
A full understanding of the problem will lead to quicker and more effective solutions. A central part of the notional process in Figure 1 highlights how vetting the problem not only enables resolution of the immediate issue but also helps to define and improve the longer-term fix.
Creative thinkers can reflect on different perspectives and then generate new ideas. Creativity enables innovation in acquisition, which is a big emphasis area as the Department of Defense DoD attempts to go faster and deliver greater value. While there is abundant literature on creativity, there is no one-size-fits-all approach on how to instill it in our acquisition environment. Studies and experience suggest that one can learn and improve creative thinking skills.
It also avoids confusion when team members use a method unknown to others, who therefore cannot help with implementation.
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