*HomeU.S. Government Accountability Office*
Menu

      close


          
          
                          	
				
				
	
	
					Reports & Testimonies
									
																				
				
				
	
	
								Reports & Testimonies
													
																												
																						
							
																Recommendations Database
							
																												
																						
							
																Month in Review
							
																												
																						
							
																Order Copies
							
																												
																						
							
																Restricted Reports
							
																												
																						
							
																View Topics
							
																												
																						
							
																View Agencies
							
																												
																						
							
																Bid Protests & Appropriations Law
									
																				
				
				
	
	
								Bid Protests & Appropriations Law
													
																												
																						
							
																Bid Protests
							
																												
																						
							
																Appropriations Law
							
																												
																						
							
																Federal Vacancies Reform Act
							
																												
																						
							
																Other Legal
							
																												
																						
							
																About
									
																				
				
				
	
	
								About
													
																												
																						
							
																What GAO Does
							
																												
																						
							
																U.S. Comptroller General
							
																												
																						
							
																Careers
							
																												
																						
							
																Contact UsFor Congress
                                
                          
        
                Press Center
                                
                          
        
                Careers
                                
                          
        
                BlogSearch Breadcrumb
        Home
                            Reports & Testimonies
                            Technology Readiness Assessment Guide: Best Practices For Evaluating The Readiness of Technology For Use In Acquisition Programs and Projects [Reissued With Revisions On Feb. 11, 2020.]
    Technology Readiness Assessment Guide:
                          Best Practices for Evaluating the Readiness of Technology for Use in Acquisition Programs and Projects [Reissued with revisions on Feb. 11, 2020.] **GAO-20-48G**
        Published: Jan 07, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 07, 2020.Jump To:
    Jump ToElder Abuse
          Services for Older Adults
          State and Local-Level Drivers and Trends
          State and Local Fiscal Projections
          Federal Borrowing
          Managing the Debt
          Summary of Funding Provisions
          Auditing the Government's Books
          Unpacking the Financial Report
          Highlights
          Recommendations
          Background
          About This Work
          About This Work
          Trends
          About the Center
          Why It's High Risk
          What Remains To Be Done
          Key Reports
          Newest COVID-Related Reports
          AI Use Cases
          Flood Insurance
          Past Pandemic-Related Reports
          CARES Act Oversight Reports
          All COVID-19 Reports
          Report Suspected Fraud
          Subjects
          How to Get Notified
          Past Reports
          Public Health Threats
          Explore the FY 2022 and 2023 Funds
          Lessons Learned
          Agency Reports
          Recent Reports
          Recommendations
          Supplemental Material
          Full Report
          Additional Data
          View Decision
          Downloads
          Previously Identified Actions
          Related Pages
          Associated Agencies
          Tough Choices and Opportunities Ahead
          Americas Fiscal Future Key Areas
          Retirement Security Key Areas
          Current List
          About The High Risk List
          Area Ratings
          Previous High Risk Products
          Search Federal Vacancies
          Past Federal Vacancies
          Violation Letters
          About the Yellow Book
          Advisory Council
          Related Resources
          Comment Letters
          Related Publications
          Contacts and Resources
          Major Issues Facing the Nation
          Meeting Strategic Challenges
          Additional Resources
          Resources
          GAO Contacts
          Mission Teams
          Operations and Staff Offices
          Organization Chart
          Why a Career at GAO?
          Am I Qualified?
          Company Culture
          Reasonable Accommodations
          Video Gallery
          Paid Internships
          Student Volunteers
          Professional Development Program
          Advancement
          Executive Candidate Program
          Summer Associates
          Externships
          Benefits
          Contacts
                    Fast Facts
              Development of cutting-edge technologies is critical to many of the government’s most costly acquisitions, including new weapons, satellites, nuclear facilities, and homeland security systems.

Technology readiness assessments (TRA) are used to evaluate the maturity of technologies and whether they are developed enough to be incorporated into a system without too much risk. Technologies that are not as mature as recommended have been the source of program delays and cost increases.

This guide is intended to provide a better understanding of technology maturity and a framework for conducting high-quality TRAs.

The cover of the GAO Technology Readiness Assessment Guide

The cover of the GAO Technology Readiness Assessment Guide
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
  What GAO Found

Relatively few federal agencies have guides for assessing a technology’s maturity and its readiness for integration into larger acquisition programs. Development of cutting-edge technologies is critical to many of the government’s most costly acquisitions, including new weapons, satellites, nuclear facilities, and homeland security systems. Technology readiness assessments (TRA) are used to evaluate the maturity of technologies and whether these technologies are adequately developed to be integrated into a system so that it can move into production with minimal risk. Technologies that are not adequately mature have led to program delays and cost increases.

Why GAO Did This Study

Using effective management practices and processes to assess both the level of maturity of a technology and how this maturity has been demonstrated are fundamental to evaluating a technology’s readiness to be integrated into a system and is managed for risk in the federal government’s major acquisitions. The TRA Guide can help program managers, technology developers, and governance bodies throughout the federal government by providing them a framework for better understanding technology maturity, and for conducting high-quality TRAs.

Specifically, the TRA Guide has two objectives: (1) to describe generally accepted best practices for conducting high-quality TRAs of technology developed for systems or acquisition programs, and (2) to provide technology developers, program managers, and governance bodies with useful information to more effectively mature critical technologies, determine a technology’s readiness, and manage and address risk. In addition, oversight bodies—such as those with department or agency acquisition officials or government auditors—may use the TRA Guide to evaluate whether the fundamental processes and best practices of effective TRAs have been followed or whether TRAs demonstrate the characteristics (credibility, objectivity, reliability, and usefulness) of high-quality assessments.

For more information, contact Brian Bothwell at (202) 512-6888 or BothwellB@gao.gov.

              Reissued with revisions on Feb. 11, 2020.

Full Report
    Full Report (149 pages)
              Accessible PDF (152 pages)
GAO Contacts
    
      Michele Mackin
            
            Managing Director
      
            mackinm@gao.gov
      
            (202) 512-4841
    Brian Bothwell
            
            Director
      
            bothwellb@gao.gov
      
            (202) 512-6888
Office of Public Affairs
    
      Chuck Young
            
            Managing Director
      
            youngc1@gao.gov
      
            (202) 512-4800
Topics
    
      Science and TechnologyBest practicesAcquisition programsAlternative technologyNational securityFighter aircraftQuality assuranceAnalytical reportsScience and technology communityDevelopmental testingSoftware developmentCost overrunsCarbon dioxidePublic roads or highwaysIndustrial developmentContract awardSpace programsColleges and universitiesMilitary communicationGovernment contractsEngineersLessons learnedAnalysis of alternativesMotor vehicle standardsEnergyScience and technologyRisk assessmentNew technologiesPerformance goalsMilitary forcesResearch and developmentMilitary materielAcquisition strategySchedule slippagesPerformance measurementEngineeringCost estimatesProgram managementSoftwareAgency evaluationsManufacturingCompliance oversightFederal agenciesCritical technologiesWeaponsSatellitesNuclear facilitiesProduct developmentHomeland securityAuditorsTechnology assessmentTechnology developmentSpace acquisition programsMilitary readinessCost and scheduleSystems designRisk managementDefense acquisition programsWeapon systemsProduct designStreamlined acquisition
                                                      MultimediaTechnology Readiness Assessment Guide cover
          Blog Post
              Our Guide to Tech Readiness
            Tuesday, January 7, 2020
      
            The development of cutting-edge technologies is critical to many of the government’s most costly...
 Receive GAO Updates
  Stay informed as we add new reports & testimonies.

    GAO Logo
      U.S. Government Accountability Office


                                   Column 1
                            Press Center
                              Contact Us
                              Inspector General
                              Restricted Reports
                              Column 2
                            Copyright & Terms of Use
                              Privacy Policy
                              Accessibility
                              Sitemap
                              Column 3
                            FOIA Requests
                              Scam Alerts
                              No FEAR Act Data
                              Health Care Advisory Committees