By Geoff Fein
The Navy has published the second version of its open architecture contract guidebook for program managers, making available information previously limited to government only use.
The first version of the Naval Open Architecture Contract Guidebook for Program Managers was a really good document, Chris Deegan, program executive office integrated warfare systems (PEO IWS) executive director and acting PEO, told Defense Daily recently.
“As with any first release, we looked at it again and asked how we could make it better,” he said. “What you are seeing in the current guidebook are things that were in the government-only guidebook that now can be released.”
In this version, the Navy added Statement of Work (SOW) language provided by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) regarding software code walk through and using integrated development environments, Deegan noted.
“We want to make sure where all the interfaces happen with the open software it matches the software guidance it is marrying up to,” he said. “From the government’s perspective, we need to make sure it works.”
Another addition provides new SoW language for accepting software deliverables to enable third party reuse, Deegan said.
A new addition is the contract data requirements list, he added.
“That’s attached to a contract that says here are the data requirements we would like to see,” Deegan said. “This just adds more specificity to whatever we consider open, and how it goes into the contract.”
Another change contained in the guidebook is a reference to Naval Air Systems Command’s Key Open Sub Systems (KOSS) tool. The tool can be used to identify the components of a modular architecture that are going to be evolving the most over time and therefore should receive extra open architecture emphasis, he explained.
The Navy has updated and expanded the guidebook’s glossary of terms and expanded the “Recommended Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) and Deliverable Item” appendix by adding more Navy Open Architecture-related data item descriptions, as well as including references to the Government’s Data Item Description Database online, Deegan said.
One of the more important changes made relates to the Aegis Advanced Capability Build 14 Platform Systems Engineering Agent (PSEA).
In April, PEO IWS issued a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the Aegis PSEA including ACB developer support for future development of the Aegis Weapon System and the Aegis Combat System (Defense Daily, April 30).
“We used the guidebook to shape that. We went through and used about 90 percent to make sure we were shaping our own story,” Deegan said.
He added it was important to do that to show PEO IWS could “walk the walk” and “talk the talk.”
“We have industry comments on [the draft RFP] now and we expect to release the RFP later this summer,” Deegan said.
The next step, Deegan noted, is to make sure there is more sharing both across the Navy and across industry. “That’s what the challenge is now.”
It is also a message Sean Stackley, the Navy’s chief weapons buyer, has been advocating as he works to bring the Navy together on OA, Deegan added.
“Mr. Stackley is hands on. He has been to the last two Open Architecture Executive Team [meetings], he has given us firm guidance in terms of what his expectations are,” he said.
The best way for government and industry to work together is to have shared expectations, Deegan said.
What the guidebook does, it tells industry, here are our expectations, all across government, our expectations in terms of what the clauses should be. It’s a guidebook,” he added. “I’ve negotiated a number of contracts and you can spend months negotiating clauses–should, would, could. This just says, here is the clause we are going to use.”
But the challenge is not in how to change the guidebook, Deegan noted, but how it is used. “I want to get it used more and more and more. There is actually a more robust roll- out strategy to get it across [the Navy].
“Right now, that is our focus, get it out there so it doesn’t get dusty, get it out there so that it is a usable document,” he added.
If the number of PEOs within the Navy using the guidebook for acquisitions is any sign, it would appear the document is seeing a lot of use.
Among those programs having incorporated open architecture requirements in acquisitions using the guidebook during the last few years are:
- PEO Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence;
- PEO Littoral Mine Warfare:
- PEO Space;
- PEO Tactical Aircraft;
- Office of Naval research; and
- The Marine Corps.