CHARTING PROGRESS IN THE SOFTWARE ACQUISITION PATHWAY
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Authors
Wahidi, Richard S.
Subjects
software acquisition
metrics
software
acquisition
EVM
project control
project tracking
earned value management
software acquisition pathway
acquisition management
digital acquisition
performance measurement
measurement
performance
DoDI 5000.87
5000.87
metrics
software
acquisition
EVM
project control
project tracking
earned value management
software acquisition pathway
acquisition management
digital acquisition
performance measurement
measurement
performance
DoDI 5000.87
5000.87
Advisors
Dunlap, Jeffrey R.
Mortlock, Robert F.
Date of Issue
2022-12
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
The Department of the Navy (DON) recently implemented the Department of Defense (DOD) Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP), a software acquisition strategy for custom application and embedded software. The purpose of the SWP is to enable rapid and iterative delivery of high-priority software capability to the intended user. But while the SWP uses an agile software development approach, neither the DOD nor the DON have yet provided comprehensive governance tools and methods for SWP programs to iteratively plan, track, and assess acquisition outcomes in agile environments. To close this gap, the author systematically researched commercial software engineering management and digital product development practices as well as prior DOD software acquisition reform studies. Based on the results, the author showed that Earned Value Management is incompatible with the SWP and recommended alternative techniques to measure cost and schedule performance. Additionally, the author recommended a phased approach to manage DON SWP custom application programs, whereby a minimal, unitless work breakdown structure is used to track progress until demonstrating the minimum viable product to the user in a testing environment; product-based metrics are then tracked until initial release of the custom application software; and then outcome-based goals are iteratively set, tracked, and assessed using the Objectives and Key Results framework for as long as the custom application software is in use.
Type
Thesis
MBA Professional Project
MBA Professional Project
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Department of Defense Management (DDM)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.