Not too surprisingly when the right goal was measured, it was achieved. This issue also has an important message by Kristen J. Baldwin for acquisition programs. Baldwin leads a Tri-Service Assessment Initiative instituted by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition. The initiative s primary objective is assisting Department of Defense program managers by providing a comprehensive review of their programs. Risks are identified and recommendations are made to mitigate those risks.
Participation is voluntary and results are strictly program oriented.
This initiative is inclusive and goes beyond the software boundaries into hardware and program issues. The Software Technology Support Center has participated as assessment members in these reviews, and we find them beneficial. Evaluating the contractor s ability to perform is a common theme among acquisition organizations. PRE is based on the Capability Maturity Model and helps choose a winning bidder in the source selection process. To learn more read Evaluating Risk in Competitive Procurements , by Timothy Carrico, Jeffrey Herman, Linda Blades, Mary Slagle, and Dennis O'Connor.