Evaluating Current Systems Engineering Models for Applicability to Model-Based Systems Engineering Technical Reviews

Abstract

Program technical reviews are discrete points in time, within a system’s life cycle, where the system is evaluated against a set of specific accomplishments, known as “entrance criteria.” These entrance criteria are used to track the technical progress, schedule, and program risks. The technical reviews serve as gates that, when successfully evaluated, demonstrate that the program is on track to achieve its final program goals and should be allowed to proceed to the next acquisition phase. Current technical reviews are based around lengthy evaluations of static, contractually obligated documents that are used to demonstrate successful completion of the entrance criteria. These documents represent “snapshots” of the systems as seen through the prism of the entrance criteria and do not represent a view of the system in its totality. As a result, the program, and system, is often viewed by the entrance criteria individually, which fails to account for the system from a holistic perspective. Department of Defense (DoD) organizations are migrating to Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) environments, with a vision of modernizing, and better developing, delivering, operating, and sustaining systems. Model-based reviews allow for complexity to be managed more efficiently because data, not “systems engineering products,” is the commodity that will be used to evaluate the entrance criteria. The data-driven MBSE technical reviews will provide greater insights with faster comprehension for the details across a program’s life cycle. This paper highlights the results of our FY19 Acquisition Research Project. It discusses applicability of current technical review criteria to MBSE technical reviews.