: Department of the Navy system acquisition begins with a statement of user need. Delivery of required capability depends heavily on the effective translation of user need to system requirements. Failure typically results in program cost overruns, schedule slippage, and sometimes partial or complete failure to deliver needed capability. Architectures as part of systems engineering were created to cope with the growing complexity of modern systems. The Navy develops and operates some of the most complex systems in the world. Yet, architecture development, while mandated, remains largely ancillary to the systems engineering process. As a result, much of the engineering advantage of architectures remains untapped. This study examined U.S. Navy policy, process, and current engineering and architectures standards and identified recommendations to improve the process of translating user needs to system requirements while facilitating the use of architectures.

Translation of user needs to system requirements

: This report, titled Open Scenario Study, Phase Two Report: Assessment and Development of Approaches for Satisfying Unclassified Scenario Needs explores elements of an approach that may be used to satisfy the national security community's demand for unclassified scenarios. In this report, the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) explores four major elements that any Department of Defense (DoD) approach to meeting unclassified scenario demand could include: 1) an online open scenario repository, 2) the certification of existing unclassified scenarios, 3) development of new unclassified scenarios, and 4) the declassification of classified scenarios. IDA examines each of these elements independently and in combination and ultimately concludes that the national security community's demand for unclassified scenarios could best be met by using variations of several of the elements in combination with one another. This report also highlights major findings from Phase Two of IDA's Open Scenario Study and offers the a recommended approach for better addressing the need for unclassified scenarios.

Open Scenario Study, Phase II Report: Assessment and Development of Approaches for Satisfying Unclassified Scenario Needs

: This paper was prepared for the Director for Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment (J-8) under the task order Studies and Analyses for Implementing Capabilities-Based Planning (CBP). The DoD has taken many steps toward implementing the vision of rational, agile, joint planning that has been advanced under the banner of capabilities-based planning. However, the processes supporting these efforts are not fully integrated with one another and are not fully aligned with the congressional budget cycle that drives resourcing decisions. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the Department's planning processes and decision support mechanisms, with particular focus on the processes that aim to define, design, and develop capabilities for the future joint force. The study focused on the integration, within the overarching framework of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) system, of five capabilities development planning sub-elements: (1) the development of strategic and planning guidance; (2) the Analytic Agenda; (3) the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS); (4) joint concept development and experimentation; and (5) the acquisition system. The paper presents a variety of options for improving the performance and integration of these processes and offers considerations for the implementation of the options. Appendices provide extensive background information on the planning processes addressed.

/pdf/improving-integration-of-department-of-defense-processes-for-2yt808kijq.pdf

Vincent P. Roske

Papers

Improving Integration of Department of Defense Processes for Capabilities Development Planning