2020 Year in Review
SEI Research Contributes to DoD’s Software Acquisition Pathway
The SEI reached a major milestone in its multiyear engagement with the Office of Acquisition Enablers within the Office of the Secretary of Defense when Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, signed Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 5000.87, the formal issuance of the Software Acquisition Pathway on October 2, 2020. In support of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Enablers (DASD(AE)), the SEI’s Forrest Shull, Shane Ficorilli, and Julie Cohen lent their expertise in evidence-based research to the development, piloting, testing, and updating of the policy. Their contributions helped speed delivery of the policy, which was released one year in advance of the deadline stipulated by Congress. “The team may have set a new acquisition policy conceptualization-to-publication record,” said Lord in a media briefing.
The new policy aims to help the DoD acquire software with modern software practices, including Agile and DevSecOps, embracing innovative software solutions and delivering capabilities with a speed that matches the Department’s dynamic mission needs. “Our goal with this pathway is to simplify the acquisition model to enable continuous integration and delivery of software capabilities to support the warfighter,” said Lord in prepared remarks announcing the launch.