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SEI Certification

Interoperable Acquisition Overview

Workshop Description

 

This workshop introduces key concepts for acquisition in the context of systems of systems. The focus is on how to integrate classical program management activities, development construction practices, operational activities, and sustainment into an effective set of practices to attain interoperable capability—enabled by systems exchanging information and operating on that information according to specified, agreed-to operational semantics—across systems of systems. Through a combination of lecture, group exercises, and class discussions, a set of practices—collectively referred to as "interoperable acquisition"—is introduced and shown to provide the foundation for effective governance in a systems-of-systems environment.

Audience   ·    Prerequisites    ·    Objectives   ·    Schedule

 

AUDIENCE

  • Individuals who make decisions about systems-of-systems strategy and implementation
  • Technical managers, managers, and engineers looking for an explanation of what interoperable acquisition in a systems-of-systems context involves
  • Technical managers, managers, and engineers who are working in acquisition programs in a systems-of-systems context
  • Individuals tasked with the acquisition, development, or deployment of interoperable systems in a systems-of-systems context

PREREQUISITES
Participants should be familiar with problems related to acquiring and managing systems that are part of one system of systems or multiple systems of systems. In addition, they should have some acquisition experience (e.g., project engineer, program manager, etc.). Membership in the "acquisition professional community" (or equivalent) is not required.

TOPICS

  • Brief overview of interoperability from a systems-of-systems perspective
  • Review of potential pitfalls of "system-centric" approaches
  • Interoperable acquisition practices driven by the nature ofand roles played byguiding principles, influence relationships, emergence, and "cultural" issues (e.g., rewards structures)
  • Issues and recommended practices for bringing the acquisition and operational communities into alignment

OBJECTIVES
Successful completion of this course will enable participants to

  • understand the differences between managing programs in systems of systems versus traditional systems and identify conflicts within their own program(s) that arise from those differences
  • avoid the pitfalls of using "system-centric" approaches to manage systems of systems
  • apply the basic concepts of interoperable acquisition in their context

Schedule

Delivered at the customer's site, Interoperable Acquisition Overview is a 1/2-day workshop, with the option to have an additional 1/2-day consulting session with the instructor. For more information or to arrange delivery of this workshop at your site, please contact Linda Shooer at les@sei.cmu.edu or at 412-268-7622.