Transforming and Informing the IT Acquisition Lifecycle Process Leveraging the Acquisition Assurance Method (AAM) and the Solution Architecture Innovation

Transforming and Informing the IT Acquisition Lifecycle Process Leveraging the Acquisition Assurance Method (AAM) and the Solution Architecture Innovation Lab (SAIL) to improve IT Program effectiveness and efficiency

Kevin CarrollICH FellowIT-AAC, Vice ChairA not-for-profit research institute [email protected] 768 0400 www.ICHnet.orgwww.IT-AAC.org

http://www.ichnet.org/

ICHnet.org Company Confidential

Why ICH ExistsWhy ICH Exists

to assure better IT investment decisions

that accelerate successful acquisition of innovative

Technology solutions aligned with business drivers

in a timely, inclusive, and conflict free environment

To assure the business value of technology


The DoD Innovation ChallengeCurrent DoD processes & resources are not optimized

What Past Studies Tell us:

• No body of knowledge from which PM can judge competing IT offerings (ECCWG Report 99)

• Fast paced IT market undermines traditional government research and assessment efforts (AF SAB 00)

• No mechanisms for assessing risks, composability or interoperability of commercial solution (AF SAB Report 00)

• No formal mechanism of deriving COTS selection criteria from Business Reference Model (IAC EA SIG 03)

• Current acquisition mechanisms result in 80% failure rates of major IT programs (CMS IC CIO 03)

• DoDAF lacks theoretical foundation for C4ISR Systems (ICCRTS 07)

PMs Feel….Overwhelmed by offerings

Cycle Times to Assess

Tech Hype vs. Reality

Interoperability:

Common Vocabulary?

ICHnet.org Company Confidential 4

Rapid IT Solution Acquisition ChallengesMilSpec Architecture, Assessment & Acquisition methods

need to be adapted for the fast paced IT market!

Major Federal IT programs fail between 72-80% (GAO, IDG, Gartner), resulting in over $40B/year in avoidable waste. Past studies say;

Revamp Governance and Solution Assessment processes to accommodate new paradigms in both War Fighting and Business Operations. (DSB 09)

Budget pressures drive Reusable & Standardized Solution Architectures, Performance Metrics and Assessment Results. Reuse can significantly reduce cost, risk and cycle times. (OMB report on Solution Architecture Integration Lab)

DoD Leadership demanding Independent Architectures (DSB 08) & Technology Clearinghouse (NDAA 08) that transparently captures innovations and stake holder needs.

Evidence from early adopters of the Acquisition Assurance Method show 70% reduction in cycle times, greater transparency and prevention of over specification. (AAM implementation results at SAF/XC, Navy PEO C4I, USMC CIO, PTO, GPO, GSA)

08 National Defense Authorization Act directed the creation of a Technology Clearinghouse, yet special interests failed to leverage ICH’s proven capabilities.

“It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new” Nicolai Machiavelli


ICH Acquisition Resource CenterProven, recommended, and on GSA Schedule 70 & MOBIS

Acquisition Assessment Method enables objective assessments and alignment of requirements, capabilities, services and solutions processes– proven to mitigate risk, OCI, and complexities of fast paced IT Market.– Comply with Clinger Cohen Act directive to avoid duplication of effort – Aligns and integrates disparate architecture and acquisition decision points

Solution Architecture Innovation Lab (SAIL): a UL like virtual resource that incorporates assessment results and expertise of multiple labs in academia and industry. – Standardized solution templates for E-Gov, IT Infrastructure, Cyber-Security, E-Health/EHR– Acquisition- ready performance metrics and service levels agreement (SLAs) – Technology Feasibility/Risk Assessment. Verify technology readiness levels and maturity. – Solution Architecture research and configuration guides that expose available COTS, Open Source

solutions

IT Advisory and Best Practice Outreach : a public/private think tanks created to drive sustainable IT Acquisition Reform. – Organic structure for tapping into real world best practices & lessons learned– Leverages expertise from academia, standards bodies, innovators and COIs needed to mentor major IT

programs. – “Grey Beard Peer Review” that guides agencies around mine fields and pot holes. Guide the

administration in establishing effective policies that leverages best practices and lessons learned


ICH Process Expertise

Requirements & Capability Analysis

Analysis of Alternatives

Enterprise, Service Oriented and Solution Architectures

Performance Metrics and Service Level Agreement

Technology Readiness Level Assessments

Vendor/Technology Maturity and Interoperability Assessment

Business Case Analysis

Value Stream Analysis

LEAN Six Sigma


ICH Solution Architecture DomainsReusable Solution Architectures

Business Domains

Health IT

Cyber Security

E-Business and ERP

IT Infrastructure

Information Sharing

Technical Domains

Netcentric IT Infrastructure

Middleware

Service Oriented Architecture enabling technologies

Cloud Computing

Cross Domain Solutions

Server Based Computing, Thin Client

Enterprise Information Portals

ID Management and Privacy tools

Information Security

8

Solution Architecture Innovation Lab Optimizes Supply Chain Contributions

Office of the Secretary of Defense, DCIO (2001) ”Since the value of the ICH to our programs increases rapidly through results sharing, we encourage the defense community and IT industry to participate directly in the public service initiative in terms of sponsorship and lessons learned"


S.A.I.L.Vetting Process

Confid

ence

Level

Validation Resources (cost & time line)

High

Low

RiskDelta

Cost/timeDelta

ICH Value Prop: Information Sharing and Collaboration reduces time, cost and risk of redundant IT research and

validation efforts

Acceptable Risk Level

Redundant Market Research and TestingSAIL Collaborative Research and Validation

Project A Project B

Project C

Strategy Architecture Discover Validation Acquisition Implementation

Inconclusivefindings


Policy Value Chain: Agency Leadership, Congress, GAO & OMB

Assuring compliance to law

Congress, Agency Leadership: COO’s, CFO’sAuditors

Provides view into agency IT planning process Establishes metrics for mission fulfillment Aligns IT Capital investment with Agency Mission Leverages industry best practices/lessons learned Gain access to industry expertise outside of

lobbying/marketing arena. Catalyst for advancing President’s Management

Agenda

PoliciesPolicies

ComplianceCompliance


Requirements Value Chain: Enterprise Users (CIO, CTO, Architects, PMs)Validating Requirements into Measurable Capabilities

IT Management: CIO/CTO/CAO:

Validate and Prioritize Requirements w/ business driven metrics

Identifies viable COTS/Open Source solutions, including small/innovative offerings

Establish Open Architectures and market readiness Model/leverage relevant industry best practices, lessons

learned Assist in “what if” Modeling and Analysis of Alternatives Provides In-Context, Just-In-Time Research Data via many

communities of practice Acquisition Strategies that have proven to deliver value and

hold suppliers accountable

Real World Real World RequirementsRequirements

Best Practices,Best Practices,Proven SolutionsProven Solutions



SI Value Chain: Solution Integrator & ConsultantsValidating competing solution architectures

Provides Solid Evidence for making COTS decisions Shares Integration Success Record with Agency Planning

process w/out OCI concerns Finds Potential COTS Component Matches Based on Prior

Similar Context Successes. ID small/innovative solution providers

Provides “What If” Modeling and Analysis for component composition

Provides Design Differentiation to Enhance Value Proposition to Customers

Outsource market research to conflict free entity

Integrators



IntegrationIntegrationBest PracticesBest Practices

Re-usableRe-usableBluePrintsBluePrints


Value Chain Benefit: Standards Bodies, Academia and Industry

GroupsAligning the theory of standards w/ market realities

SDOs, Academia & Industry Groups

Integrators

Captures Use-Cases that Support and Justify Standards Use of standards/Engineering Spec in vetting of COTS

solutions Links Pertinent Standards to Products Features/functions Provides Dynamic, but Solid Compliance Record (A119) Enable collaboration between disparate industry groups Provide IP and resources for framing complex issues.



SolutionSolutionMetricsMetrics

ResearchResearchProjectsProjects


Innovators Value Chain: VARs, COTS vendors, Component Builders, Innovative Businesses

Defining the realm of the possible and innovations

VARs, COTS Vendors,

Component Builders

Small Businesses

Integrators

Provide Buyers with the Contextualized Product Information in terms of business fit, interoperability and security.

Certifies Vendor Past Performance Based on 3rd-Party Validation/History in an architecture context

Increased Buyer’s Chances for Successful Use of Vendor Product --> Successful implementation!

Generates normalized COTS solution blue prints



Normalized Spec &Normalized Spec &Customer ReferencesCustomer References

Open Market PlaceOpen Market PlaceIntegration PartnersIntegration PartnersReduced cost of saleReduced cost of sale

SDOs, Academia & Industry Groups

Documents

Transforming and Informing the IT Acquisition Lifecycle Process Leveraging the Acquisition Assurance Method (AAM) and the Solution Architecture Innovation