Strategies for System Modernization
• SEI Report
Publisher
Department of War Chief Information Officer
Topic or Tag
Abstract
The purpose of this SEI report is to support policymakers and assist the Program Management Office (PMO), program sponsor, and program team in making risk-based decisions regarding system modernization. We focus on Department of War (DoW) Command and Control (C2) systems, but this report is equally applicable to Defense Business Systems (DBSs), applications, and embedded systems, even in agencies outside of the DoW.
Modernization is a complex and multi-faceted problem, and we did not write this report as a how-to guide. Instead, we present a set of constructs and the relationships between them to help stakeholders reason about the best approach for their particular modernization effort.
Cite This SEI Report
Brown, N., & O'Hearn, B. (2026, September 15). Strategies for System Modernization. Retrieved November 10, 2026, from https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/strategies-for-system-modernization/.
@techreport{brown_2026,
author={Brown, Nanette and O'Hearn, Brigid},
title={Strategies for System Modernization},
month={Sep},
year={2026},
institution={Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University},
url={https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/strategies-for-system-modernization/},
note={Accessed: 2026-Nov-10}
}
Brown, Nanette, and Brigid O'Hearn. "Strategies for System Modernization." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Department of War Chief Information Officer, September 15, 2026. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/strategies-for-system-modernization/.
N. Brown, and B. O'Hearn, "Strategies for System Modernization," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Department of War Chief Information Officer, 15-Sep-2026 [Online]. Available: https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/strategies-for-system-modernization/. [Accessed: 10-Nov-2026].
Brown, Nanette, and Brigid O'Hearn. "Strategies for System Modernization." Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Department of War Chief Information Officer, 15 Sep. 2026. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/strategies-for-system-modernization/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
Brown, Nanette; & O'Hearn, Brigid. Strategies for System Modernization. Department of War Chief Information Officer. 2026. https://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/strategies-for-system-modernization/