Figure 1 -- Defense Acquisition Management Framework (source: DoD 5000)
Proposal Title: Exploring Open Software Systems Acquisition Processes and Architectures
PROPOSAL NUMBER:__________
Submitted to
DAU EXTERNAL ACQUISITION RESEARCH PROGRAM (FY 2001)
In Response to Solicitation: N00244-01-R-0033
THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR and Co-Principal Investigator:
Title First Name MI Last Name
Dr. Walter S. Scacchi (PI)
Professor Richard N. Taylor (Co-PI)
Phone Number (including Area Code): 949-824-4031 (Scacchi), 949-824-6429 (Taylor)
Fax Number: 949-824-1715
E-mail Address: Wscacchi@ics.uci.edu, Taylor@ics.uci.edu
Department/Division: Institute for Software Research
Institution: University of California at Irvine
Street/P.O. Box
Institute for Software Research
ICS Dept.
Rm. CS444
Irvine, CA 92697-3425
City, State Zip Code
Current DAU Awardee or employee? YES ___X___ NO ______
If yes, list Program Manager or Supervisor and organization: Dr. Ira Lewis, Naval Postgraduate School
_X_ Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator are U.S. Citizens
_X_ Principal Investigator holds a permanent position.
_X_ Co-Principal Investigator is tenured.
2. THE PROPOSAL:
Title of the Proposal (Please be brief and descriptive)
Exploring Open Software Systems Acquisition Processes and Architectures
Research Period (12 months maximum)
1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 (Phase I)
1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 (Phase II Option)
3. NAMES (to be used for courtesy notification of EARP awards) OF:
Department Chair/Head or Supervisor:
Dr. Richard N. Taylor
Director and Professor
Institute for Software Research
University of California
Irvine, CA 92697-3425
4. CERTIFICATION BY OFFICIAL AUTHORIZED TO OBLIGATE CONTRACTUALLY:
Institution's Proposal Number:
Signature
Title of Position Date
Dr/Mr/Ms First Name MI Last Name
Phone Number (including Area Code)
Legal Name of Institution
Address (P.O. Box Numbers Cannot be Accepted)
City State Zip Code
CERTIFICATIONS BY OTHER OFFICIALS:
Use this space for printed names, titles, and signatures
of other officials approving the submission of this proposal
(e.g., the Principal Investigator, Department Head or Dean).
Principal Investigator: Date
Other Official: Date
Other Official: Date
2. Technical, Biographical, and Supporting Information
Abstract and Executive Summary:
The proposed research effort seeks to continue DAU funded basic research and exploratory studies in the area of software systems acquisition. The proposed effort requests support to construct and demonstrate formal computational models of the DoD 5000 Acquisition Model and how it can be integrated with software acquisition process architecture concepts in an information infrastructure for research, distance learning, and future practice in software systems acquisition. This infrastructure consists of Web-based tools, techniques, and hypertext representations that capture, model and operationalize various forms of knowledge associated with virtual system acquisition (VISTA) approach to software systems acquisition. Our previous research effort has established software acquisition knowledge webs, knowledge web management systems, and process architectures for software system acquisition. These new information technologies model and organize software feasibility heuristics as well as models of software acquisition processes in a manner that can be deployed over the Internet/Web to help streamline DoD acquisition processes and support distance learning.
In Phase I effort over a 12 month period, we propose to investigate and demonstrate a computational process model and data model that accounts for the information requirements and guidelines that are currently described in narrative form in the Defense Acquisition Handbook. These models will allow us to systematically analyze and demonstrate how the DoD 5000 model facilitates, interacts with, or constrains the development and feasibility analysis of software systems associated with major systems acquisition efforts. We will integrate these models with the Web-based knowledge management capabilities and software acquisition process architectures that we have already developed. Our previous DAU funded activities have produced the design and demonstration of a Web-based knowledge management system supporting software acquisition processes and process architectures (i.e., compositions of multiple interacting acquisition processes, like those suggested in the DoD 5000 model). The proposed research effort will thus expand and demonstrate support for modeling and analysis of overall system acquisition processes together with processes for software architecture-based research and practice, in line with the VISTA vision.
Beyond this, we propose an Optional Phase II effort for an additional 12
month period that will build on the effort described above. Here we seek
to align the proposed research effort with another already funded by the
National Science Foundation to our research team at UC Irvine. Drawing from
our NSF funded project, we propose to investigate the applicability of "open
source" software concepts and techniques as the basis for a framework to
establish an open acquisition process model and Web-based environment. Open
source software represents a rapidly emerging best practice for building large
software systems in a decentralized software development enterprise. Thus,
we believe it will be fruitful to understand how the acquisition of software
systems might benefit from (or be inhibited by) the adoption of open source
software development practices and processes. Our effort here is to continue
to investigate low-cost, high payoff approaches that can help streamline
DoD system or software acquisition practices, and to support distant learning
and experimentation with these capabilities (Anderson 2000).
Description of proposed work:
This proposal describes the scientific and technical background for the
proposed effort, highlighting the approach and results from our first and
second year of DAU funded research in this area. Our research objectives and
the technical approach for the proposed Phase I effort and Optional Phase
II effort then follow, as well as references to related acquisition research
publications. Next, biographical information for the investigators on this
project is described. A cost summary and budget rationale then follows at
the end of the proposal. Each appears in turn.
Scientific and Technical Background
The acquisition of major software-intensive systems is often problematic. Recent reports from the US General Accounting Office (E.g., GAO 1995, GAO 1997) and others (e.g., Holland 1998) describe a number of problems with the way complex systems are acquired. The current problems in their acquisition include:
We in the acquisition research community are at a time when there is substantial opportunity to rethink how the acquisition of software-intensive systems should occur to address the recurring problems. At the same time, we should pursue new opportunities that can streamline DoD acquisition processes in order to realize savings, efficiencies, increased satisfaction, and continuous improvement. Similarly, we should provide a strategy for supporting global access and distance learning to re-engineered system acquisition processes, as they can represent a radical departure from current practices. Subsequently, we should engage in research that explores how these opportunities can be supported through use of advanced information processing tools, techniques and concepts (Anderson 2000).
The VISTA Approach to Virtual System Acquisition
The long-term objective of this line of research is to make the acquisition of software-intensive systems more agile and adaptive. Our effort constitutes an ambitious departure from the status quo, rather than an incremental extension of current best practices (ARO 1999). In pursuing this objective, we need to explore the development of new generation of information technologies and associated processes that can support a new vision of what software systems acquisition can become (cf. Boehm and Scacchi, 1996, SA-CMM 2000, Scacchi and Boehm 1998, Schoof, Haimes and Chittister 1997, STSC 1996). This emerging capability is called virtual system acquisition, or simply VISTA (Scacchi and Boehm 1998).
The VISTA strategy provides a road map for a five year effort in software acquisition R&D (Boehm and Scacchi 1996, Scacchi and Boehm 1998). This road map appears top to bottom, left to right, in Table 1. It lays out the research, technology, and usage needed to support the acquisition of large software-intensive systems.
|
|
|||||
Research |
Technology |
Acquisition
|
|||
|
System Life Cycle Stages |
Concept
|
|
Top-Level Feasibility Advisor, Parametric Models |
|
|
Software Architecture
|
|
Models & Simulations of Subsystems and Elements |
|
||
Spiral
|
|
Hybrid Measurement, Modeling and Simulation Environment |
|
||
Research into the VISTA Approach: Year 1 (DAU Funded Effort in FY99)
Providing support to capture, represent and share these software feasibility heuristics and related information sources is the starting point in the VISTA approach. While some of this knowledge is specific to particular acquisition programs, there is a substantial body of software acquisition heuristics available from a variety of published sources (e.g., Recthin 1991, SA-CMM 2000, Schoff, Haimes and Chittister 1997, STSC 1996). Initial studies indicate the software acquisition heuristics and other best practices can be formalized as knowledge-based rules (patterns) that can be applied to analyze software acquisition processes that are modeled in a suitable computational form (cf. Nissen 1997,1998, Noll and Scacchi 2000, Scacchi, Valente, Noll and Choi, 2001, Valente and Scacchi 1999).
We found the kinds of heuristics noted above are not generally represented nor accessible in an information systems environment that would support their browsing, query, systematic classification, evolutionary update, wide-area distribution, application and evaluation during system acquisition. Furthermore, from a classification standpoint, there are different classes of software acquisition or feasibility heuristics that may apply to assessing the architecture and engineering of complex software systems, in contrast to those that apply to acquisition processes, systems engineering processes or project management techniques. As such, we found challenges that had to be addressed in order to provide support for the analysis of software system acquisition using software feasibility heuristics (Scacchi and Taylor 2000, Scacchi and Taylor 2001, Scacchi, Valente, Noll and Choi, 2001).
The first challenge to be addressed in re-tooling system acquisition was the need for an information systems environment that can support the capture, representation, and operationalization of various forms of software feasibility heuristics (Boehm and Scacchi 1996, Scacchi and Boehm 1998). More specifically, a Web-based environment for capturing, representing, applying and evolving software feasibility heuristics is needed (cf. Fielding, et al. 1998, Noll and Scacchi 1999).
The second challenge problem was to design a conceptual framework that can capture, represent and operationalize informal and formal models of different kinds of as-is, to-be, or here-to-there processes for software systems acquisition (cf. Scacchi 2001b).
The third challenge problem addressed how different forms of acquisition knowledge can be represented, interlinked and managed over the Web (cf. Valente and Scacchi 1999).
Addressing the three challenge problems required both basic and exploratory research studies. The basic research problem entailed how to develop a common solution to the three challenges for how to support a new generation of research in software systems acquisition. Developing and exploring possible solutions to this basic research problem benefited from an exploratory study of new concepts, techniques and tools for acquiring, representing and operationalizing knowledge webs for software systems acquisition. Subsequently, our research in Year 1 (FY99) evaluated, extended and refined the knowledge web and knowledge web management system (KWMS) capabilities to apply to the domain of software systems acquisition (cf. Valente and Scacchi 1999). Relevant details of this approach and corresponding design examples appear in the Final Report for the 1999 effort (Scacchi and Taylor 2000).
A knowledge web provides a Web-based knowledge management capability and repository for representing various forms of knowledge in a domain like software systems acquisition. A KWMS is a Web-based information systems environment for managing the capture, representation and operationalization of knowledge webs that are accessible over the Internet. A KWMS provides access to the various knowledge management mechanisms needed to operationalize, reason with, and incrementally update a knowledge web. In particular, the kind of KWMS envisioned here supports the representation, linkage, query and automated reasoning of the various forms of knowledge associated with a problem domain. The key mechanism enabling this approach is a formal knowledge representation system. In the KWMS prototype described by (Valente and Scacchi 1999), the widely used Loom knowledge representation system (Valente, et al. 1999), an ontology for process modeling and analysis (Mi and Scacchi 1996) and Ontosaurus editor/browser are employed.
The research effort for Year 1 focused on the design of an information infrastructure for modeling and analyzing feasibility heuristics for software acquisition processes and software system architectures. The resulting infrastructure consists of a knowledge representation capability, called software acquisition knowledge webs, together with the design of an information systems environment, called the software acquisition knowledge web management system, or simply SA-KWMS (Scacchi and Taylor 2000). The results of this effort corresponds to the Concept Definition phase of our research study, as shown in Table 1.
Research into the VISTA Approach: Year 2 (DAU Funded Effort in FY00)
The research for Year 2 began the transition from the Concept Definition to the Software Architecture Definition component of the VISTA road map in Table 1. This component is identified with the label, "architecture representation and analysis M&S", which is a shorthand contraction for the representation and analysis of software architecture models and simulations that can support software system acquisition.
Central to the VISTA approach is the ability to model, analyze and simulate the architectures of software systems being acquired, in order to assess their technical, economic, and program management feasibility (Boehm and Scacchi 1996, Scacchi and Boehm 1998). In large program acquisitions like the DD 21 Battleship or Joint Strike Fighter (DD21 2000, Struth 2000), the acquisition of software systems should be targeted to a family or "product line" of systems that share much in common, yet provide for alternative architectural configurations (cf. Bergey, Fisher and Jones 1999, Boehm and Scacchi 1996, Scacchi and Boehm 1998). In order for us to re-tool system acquisition processes to continually assess the feasibility of software system architectures and functional capabilities throughout acquisition processes, we need to model, analyze and simulate software system architectures (cf. Brown, Grant, Kotchman, Reyenga, and Szanto 2000). However, rather than choosing to model individual systems as our starting point, we concur with the SEI strategy for focusing attention on understanding software product line architectures (cf. Clements 1999, Scacchi and Boehm 1998). To this end, we seek to explore how available languages for specifying software architectures (Medvivdovic and Taylor 2000) can be extended and integrated with the emerging SA-KWMS designed in Year 1, to support the modeling and analysis of software process architectures (Choi and Scacchi 2001).
At the UCI Institute for Software Research, we already have access to one or more languages and environments for specifying, analyzing, building and modifying software application systems at the architectural level (Medvivdovic, Rosenblum and Taylor 1998). Subsequently, we were in an excellent position to pursue the following objectives:
Technical Approach for Proposed Phase I (FY01-02): Research into the VISTA Approach Year 3
The basis of our proposed technical approach is to formulate a set of tasks that collectively address the research objectives for Phase I, while also setting the course for follow-on research investigations in subsequent years through an Optional Phase II effort. Accordingly, we identify and describe the following four tasks for research study in the proposed Phase I (Year 3), starting in FY01. In the next section, we describe the Optional Phase II effort, starting in FY02.
Phase I-Task 1:
We propose to investigate and demonstrate a computational process model and data model that accounts for the DoD 5000 Acquisition Model. The information requirements and guidelines are currently described in narrative form in the Defense Acquisition Handbook (DoD 5000) along the colored regions suggested in Figure 1. To people unfamiliar with the DoD 5000 model, such a new members of the DoD Acquisition workforce, the model's structure and complexity (e.g., as indicated by its decompsition into as many as 8 levels of subsections) is difficult to comprehend and readily master. Our goal is to computationally codify and formalize these models in ways that will allow us to systematically analyze and demonstrate (cf. Scacchi and Mi 1997) how the DoD 5000 model facilitates, interacts with, or constrains the development and feasibility analysis of software systems associated with major systems acquisition efforts (DD21, Struth 2000). We will integrate these computational process and data models with the Web-based knowledge management capabilities and software acquisition process architectures that we have already developed.
Figure 1 -- Defense Acquisition Management Framework (source: DoD 5000)
Our previously DAU funded activities (Choi and Scacchi 2001, Scacchi, Valente, Noll and Choi 2001, Scacchi and Taylor 2000, 2001) have produced the design and demonstration of a Web-based knowledge management system supporting software acquisition processes and process architectures. Our process architecture technologies allow us to model and simulate compositions of multiple interacting acquisition processes, like those suggested in the DoD 5000 model. The proposed research effort will thus expand and demonstrate support for modeling and analysis of overall system acquisition processes together with processes for software architecture-based research and practice, in line with the VISTA vision.
Phase I-Task 2: Given formal, computational and data models of the DoD 5000 system acquisition process, we propose to investigate and demonstrate our ability to analyze and simulate the DoD 5000 acquisition process interoperating with software development processes. In previous work (Choi and Scacchi 2001) we have demonstrated the basic capabilities to construct and simulate compositions of multiple, distributed software process architectures using the DoD standard High-Level Architecture (Kuhl, Weatherly, and Dahlmann 1999). In this work, we will build upon our prior accomplishments in order to determine whether these simulations can serve as a component for process analysis and redesign (i.e., acquisition process streamlining), and for distance learning. Such a modeling and simulation environment can help educate new DoD acquisition staff with the structure and interaction dynamics of the DoD 5000 acquisition process, and how it influences the development processes for DoD acquired software systems (cf. Brown, Grant, Kotchman, Reyenga, and Szanto 2000).
Phase I-Task 3: We need to iteratively refine and evolve the design of the software acquisition knowledge web management system from the Year 1 and Year 2 effort to integrate the results of the preceding Phase I tasks. The Phase I Task 1 and 2 represent an extension that must be integrated into the design of the evolving SA-KWMS that we are pursuing (Scacchi and Taylor 2000, 2001). Thus, we have an initial scheme identifying what kinds of results will need to be integrated and where.
Phase I-Task 4: We will produce a Final Report that describes the results from each of the preceding tasks. Among other things, the final report will document and describe the extension of a Web-based information infrastructure for virtual software acquisition that can represent and analyze formal computational models of DoD 5000 system acquisition processes and how they influence the development software system architectures and process architectures. This final report will itself be incorporated into a software acquisition knowledge web that can be managed as part of the SA-KWMS undergoing continuing research and development from our earlier efforts (Scacchi and Taylor 2000, 2001). Our overall goal in this proposed set of Phase I tasks is to investigate and demonstrate concepts, techniques and tools for streamlining DoD software acquisition processes, and to do so in a manner that the results can be provided for examination, review and evaluation in support of distance learning objectives (Anderson 2000).
Resource requirements: The effort for Phase I Tasks 1 through 4 requires 2.25 person months of effort by the lead researcher and Principal Investigator in this study, Dr. Walt Scacchi. This includes the effort needed to undertake the exploratory studies identified above, and to prepare the final report. In addition, this research will benefit from an annual trip to meet with other acquisition researchers and scholars at venues such as the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA during the proposed twelve month study period for Phase I effort. These meetings are intended to provide an open communication channel with others in the acquisition research community, as well as to solicit their feedback and suggested refinements.
Technical Approach for Optional Phase II (FY02-03): Research into the VISTA Approach Year 4
The basis of our technical approach is to formulate a set of tasks that collectively address the research objectives for an Optional Phase II effort. Accordingly, we identify and describe the following four tasks for research study in the proposed Phase II effort (VISTA Year 4), starting in FY02. Our effort here is to continue to investigate low-cost, high payoff approaches that can help streamline DoD system or software acquisition practices, and to support distant learning and experimentation with these capabilities.
Phase II-Task 1: In this task, we seek to align the proposed research effort with another research study already funded by the National Science Foundation (FY00-FY03) to our research team at UC Irvine. This NSF funded project is empirically investigating and modeling the processes and practices associated with the development of "open source" software systems. Open source software system concepts have been popularized with the rise of the Linux operating system and Apache Web server, both of which now have millions of installations and users distributed around the world. Here we propose to investigate the applicability of open source software concepts and techniques as the basis for a framework to establish an open acquisition process model supported by a Web-based environment. Open source software represents a rapidly emerging best practice for building large software systems in a decentralized software development enterprise. Thus, we believe it will be fruitful to understand how the acquisition of software systems might benefit from (or be inhibited by) the adoption of open source software development practices and processes.
Phase II-Task 2: At present, open source software development practices and processes are described in informal, narrative terms. Our goal in the preceding Phase II-Task I is to develop and demonstrate a computational model of an open acquisition process model. In this task, we propose to investigate how to extend the open acquisition process model so that would be both compatible and integrated with the DoD 5000 model as examined in Phase I , as well as be accessible for evaluation and distance education over the Internet/Web.
Phase II-Task 3: We need to iteratively refine and evolve the design of the software acquisition knowledge web management system from the Year 1, Year 2, and the proposed Year 3 (Phase I tasks described above) effort to integrate the results of the preceding Phase II tasks. Both Phase I and Phase II tasks represent extensions that must be integrated into the design of the evolving SA-KWMS that we are pursuing (Scacchi and Taylor 2000, 2001). Thus, we have an ongoing scheme identifying what kinds of results will need to be integrated and where.
Phase II-Task 4: We will produce a Final Report that describes the results from each of the preceding Phase II tasks. Among other things, the final report will document and describe the extension of a Web-based information infrastructure for virtual software acquisition that can represent and analyze models and simulations of open system acquisition processes and software process architectures. This final report will itself be incorporated into a software acquisition knowledge web that can be managed as part of the SA-KWMS undergoing continuing research and development. Finally, the final report will describe how other software engineering and project management tools, as well as other modeling and simulation capabilities envisioned in the VISTA approach to software systems acquisition, can be integrated through subsequent research and development efforts in a VISTA Approach Year 5 (FY04) undertaking. As before, our overall goal in the proposed Phase II Option is to investigate and demonstrate concepts, techniques and tools for streamlining DoD software acquisition processes, and to do so in a manner that the results can be provided for examination, review and evaluation in support of distance learning objectives (Anderson 2000).
Resource requirements: The effort for Phase II Tasks 1 through 4
requires 2.15 person months of effort by the lead researcher and Principal
Investigator in this study, Dr. Walt Scacchi. This includes the effort needed
to undertake the exploratory studies identified above, and to prepare the
final report. In addition, this research will benefit from an annual trip
to meet with other acquisition researchers and scholars at venues such as
the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA during the proposed twelve
month study period for the Optional Phase II effort. These meetings are intended
to provide an open communication channel with others in the acquisition research
community, as well as to solicit their feedback and suggested refinements.
Summary of the Proposed Research Effort
Overall, the research in Phase I and the Optional Phase II effort seeks to extend the design of the Web-based software acquisition knowledge management system that we have previously developed to incorporate support for the DoD 5000 model (Phase I) and an open system acquisition process (Phase II) framework. This should lead to an improved capability to support future research in the area of software systems acquisition as outlined in the VISTA reports (Boehm and Scacchi 1996, Scacchi and Boehm 1998) and our Year 1 and Year 2 efforts in line with the VISTA approach (Scacchi and Taylor 2000, 2001).
Our proposed effort for Phase I (FY01-02) effort is a modest next step that leverages the results from prior research in the area of software acquisition, Web-based process modeling and knowledge management environments, software system engineering, business process redesign, and software process architectures. Similarly, our proposed Optional Phase II (FY02-03) effort is also a modest next step that builds on and leverages the results from our accumulating base of research explorations. Our research goal is to investigate and demonstrate concepts, techniques and tools for streamlining DoD software acquisition processes, and to do so in a manner that the results can be provided for examination, review and evaluation in support of distance learning objectives (Anderson 2000)
Summary Deliverable Results: The principal deliverable for this
proposed effort produced by Phase I and the Optional Phase II is a final
report for each year's effort. The overall results of the proposed effort
seek to establish a foundation for acquiring, representing, and operationalizing
a Web-based information infrastructure that can incorporate and support new
tools, techniques and strategies for transforming the theory and streamlining
the practice of software systems acquisition for new Defense systems applications.
References
BGen. (Ret.) F. Anderson, Smart Business 20/20: Preparing for the Future -- DAU Business Plan for 2000-2001 , November 2000.
ARO, Implementing Acquisition Reform in Software Acquisition, Navy Acquisition Reform Office, http://www.acq-ref.navy.mil/turbo/refs/software.pdf, 1999.
J.K. Bergey, M.J. Fisher, and L.G. Jones, The DoD Acquisition Environment and Software Product Lines, CMU/SEI-99-TN-004, Pittsburgh, Pa.: Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie-Mellon University, 1999.
C.D. Brown, C. Grant, D. Kotchman, R. Reyenga, and T. Szanto, Building a Business Case for Modeling and Simulation, Acquisition Review Quarterly , 311-328, Fall 2000.
B. Boehm and W. Scacchi. Simulation and Modeling for Software Acquisition (SAMSA), Final Report, Center for Software Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, http://sunset.usc.edu/SAMSA/samcover.html, March 1996.
J.S. C. Choi and W. Scacchi, Modeling and Simulating Software Acquisition Process Architectures, Journal Systems and Software, (to appear), 2001.
P. Clements. Software Product Lines: A New Paradigm for the New Century. Crosstalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering, 12(2):20-22, February 1999.
DD21 Information System, http://sc21.crane.navy.mil , 1997-2001.
DoD 5000 Acquisition Model, Defense Acquisition Deskbook, http://web2.deskbook.osd.mil/, 31 January 2001.
R. T. Fielding, E. J. Whitehead Jr., K. M. Anderson, G. A. Bolcer, P. Oriezy, R. N. Taylor. Support for the Virtual Enterprise: Web-based Development of Complex Information Products. Communications ACM, 41(8): 84-92. August,1998.
J. Gebauer, C. Beam and A. Segev. Impact of the Internet on Procurement. Acquisition Review Quarterly, 5(2):167-184, Spring 1998.
GAO, General Accounting Office. Defense Weapons Systems Acquisition, Report GAO/HR-95-4, 1995.
GAO, General Accounting Office. Air Traffic Control--Immature Software Acquisition Processes Increase FAA System Acquisition Risks, Report GAO/AIMD-97-47, 1997.
S.P Hocevar and W.E. Owen. Team-based Redesign as a Large-Scale Change. Acquisition Review Quarterly, 5(2):147-166, Spring 1998.
L. Holland. The Weapons Acquisition Process: The Impediments to Radical Reform. Acquisition Review Quarterly, 5(2):235-249, Spring 1998.
F. Kuhl, R. Weatherly, J. Dahmann, Creating Computer Simulation Systems: An Introduction to the High Level Architecture, Prentice Hall, 1999.
N. Medvidovic, D. S. Rosenblum, and R. N. Taylor. A Language and Environment for Architecture-Based Software Development and Evolution. Proc. 21st Intern. Conf. Software Engineering, 44-53, Los Angeles, CA, May 1999.
N. Medvidovic and R. N. Taylor. A Classification and Comparison Framework for Software Architecture Description Languages. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, January 2000.
P. Mi and W. Scacchi. A Meta-Model for Formulating Knowledge-Based Models of Software Development. Decision Support Systems, 17(3):313-330. 1996.
M.E. Nissen. Reengineering the RFP Process through Knowledge-Based Systems. Acquisition Review Quarterly, 4(1):87-100, Winter 1997 .
M.E. Nissen. Redesigning Reengineering through Measurement-Driven Inference . MIS Quarterly, 22(4): 509-534, December, 1998.
M.E. Nissen, K.F. Snider and D.V. Lamm. Managing Radical Change in Acquisition. Acquisition Review Quarterly, 5(2):89-106, Spring 1998.
J. Noll and W. Scacchi. Supporting Software Development in Virtual Enterprises . J. Digital Information, 1(4), February 1999.
J. Noll and W. Scacchi. Process-Oriented Hypertext for Organizational Computing , J. Network and Computer Applications, 24(1):39-61, 2001
W. Scacchi. Experience with Software Process Simulation and Modeling, J. Systems and Software, 46:183-192, 1999.
W. Scacchi. Redesigning Service Procurement for Internet-based Electronic Commerce: A Case Study. J. Information Technology and Management, (to appear), 2001b.
W. Scacchi. Understanding Software Process Redesign using Modeling, Analysis and Simulation, Software Process--Improvement and Practice, 5(2/3), 2001a.
W. Scacchi and B.E. Boehm. Virtual System Acquisition: Approach and Transition. Acquisition Review Quarterly, 5(2):185-215, Spring 1998.
W. Scacchi and P. Mi. Process Life Cycle Engineering: A Knowledge-Based Approach and Environment. Intern. J. Intelligent Systems in Accounting, Finance, and Management, 6(1):83-107, 1997.
W. Scacchi and J. Noll. Process-Driven Intranets: Life-Cycle Support for Process Reengineering. IEEE Internet Computing, 1(5):42-49, September-October 1997.
W. Scacchi, J. Noll, C. Knight, and Capt. F.J. Miller. (Re)Engineering Research Grants Management: From Acquisition Reform to Knowledge Brokering at ONR, Paper presented at the NSF Workshop on Research and Development Opportunities for Federal Information Services, Arlington, VA, May 1997. http://www.usc.edu/dept/ATRIUM/NSF-FIS-Workshop.html
W. Scacchi and R.N. Taylor. Final Report on the Design of an Information Infrastructure Supporting Research in Software Systems Acquisition, Institute for Software Research, University of California, Irvine, CA, Spring 2000.
W. Scacchi and R.N. Taylor. Final Report on the Exploring Software Product Line Architectures with a Research Infrastructure for Software Systems Acquisition, Institute for Software Research, University of California, Irvine, CA, (to appear), Spring 2001.
W. Scacchi, A. Valente, J. Noll and J.S.C. Choi, An Environment for Research in Software Systems Acquisition, (submitted for publication), 2001.
R.M. Schooff, Y.Y. Haimes, and C.G. Chittister. A Holistic Management Framework for Software Acquisition, Acquisition Review Quarterly, Winter 1997.
SA-CMM, Software Acquisition Capability Maturity Model, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. 2000.
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/arm/SA-CMM.html
STSC, Software Technology Support Center. Guidelines for Successful Acquisition and Management of Software-Intensive Systems: Weapon Systems, Command and Control Systems, Management Information Systems. Volumes 1 & 2. (Version 2.0) Dept. of the Air Force, June 1996. http://stsc.hill.af.mil/stscguid.asp
R.G. Struth, Systems Engineering and the Joint Strike Fighter: The Flagship Program for Acquisition Reform, Acquisition Review Quarterly, 221-232, Summer 2000.
A. Valente, T. Russ, R. MacGregor, and W. Swartout. Building and (Re)Using an
Ontology for Air Campaign Planning. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 14(1):27-36, 1999.
A. Valente and W. Scacchi. Developing a Knowledge Web for Business Process Redesign, IJCAI'99 Workshop on Workflow and Process Automation, Stockholm, Sweden, August 1999.
Biographical Information
The proposed research effort is lead by Dr. Walt Scacchi working in cooperation
with Professor Richard Taylor at the Institute for Software Research as well
as Information and Computer Science Dept. at UCI. Professor Taylor, as Director
of ISR at UCI, has agreed to serve as Co-PI for this project at no cost.
This arrangement for PI and Co-PI insures full commitment and cooperation
from the ICS department and ISR at UCI in order to help continue to build
a research program in software systems acquisition based at ISR. At the same
time, it places no cost burden on the funding sought for the proposed effort
in order to maximize the resources provided to the lead researcher to maximize
the likelihood of success in the proposed effort. As such, only biographical
information for the lead researcher and Principal Investigator on the project,
Dr. Walt Scacchi, is provided in the following section. Biographical information
and other information pertaining to Professor Taylor and the ISR can be accessed
from the Web starting from either Professor Taylor's home page (
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~taylor) or from the ISR home page (http://www.ics.uci.edu/ISR/).
Biographical Information for Dr. Walt Scacchi
Biogrp:
Education: Ph.D. in Information and Computer Science at University of California, Irvine in 1981. B.A. Mathematics, B.S. Computer Science, California State University Fullerton 1973.
Position (1999-Current): Senior Research Scientist and Research Faculty, Institute for Software Research, and Research Faculty, Information and Computer Science Dept., University of California, Irvine, CA.
Previous Positions: Research professor, Information Systems and Operations Management, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 1990-1998; professor, Computer Science, School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 1981-1990; research specialist and graduate research assistant, UC Irvine 1974-1981.
Software Development Experience: Created and directed the USC System Factory Project from 1981-1991. This was the first software factory research project in a U.S. university. Directed 11 software development life cycle project cycles, leading staffs of 30-85 software engineers (total over 600) who developed and delivered over 600K lines of source code and over 40K pages of life cycle documentation.
Information Systems Experience: Founded and directed the USC ATRIUM Laboratory from 1993-1998 within the USC Marshall School of Business, focused on investigating the organizational and technological processes of system development, with emphasis on business process reengineering, electronic commerce and software engineering using Internet-based technologies. Directed the funding, development and delivery of advanced decision support systems and business process-driven application frameworks for clients including: Northrop-Grumman B-2 Division; AT&T Bell Laboratories; EDS Manufacturing Practice Group; Active Management Inc. (start-up company); Andersen Consulting Center for Strategic Technology and Research (CSTaR); McKesson Water Products Co.; Perceptronics Inc.; SUN Microsystems Co.; Naval Air Warfare Center, Procurement Division (China Lake, CA); Office of Naval Research, Acquisition Directorate; Microelectronics and Computer Corporation (MCC); Office of the Undersecretary of the Air Force and USAF Rome Laboratories; USC Entertainment Technology Center (Feature Film Process Reengineering); USC Advanced Biotechnology Consortium (Telemedicine); GDE Systems; and others.
Selected Research Publications (relevant to the proposed effort)
Consulting Experience: Since 1985, Dr. Scacchi has provided his consulting services and expertise to 25 client organizations including: Hughes Research Laboratories (Malibu, CA); Digital; IBM; National Center for State Courts; Churchill Films; Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); USC Information Sciences Institute; AT&T Bell Laboratories; Hewlett-Packard Software Engineering Systems Division; Computer Technology Associates; Andersen Consulting; MCC; Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie-Mellon University, Technology Training Inc.; Perceptronics Inc.; Intelligent Systems Technology Inc.; and others including clients involved in software/IS related litigation.
Teaching and Public Speaking: Dr. Scacchi has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at USC in software engineering during 1980's. Since 1991, he taught graduate MBA courses at USC in electronic commerce, decision support systems, network and web-based information systems, and business process reengineering. He has also taught an Executive MBA course in Management of Information Technology at USC. Since 2000, he has taught courses in the Graduate School of Management at UC Irvine. Beyond this, Dr. Scacchi has been invited to give over 150 academic colloquia, industrial seminars, conference presentations, keynote addresses and tutorials throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe (England, Finland, France, Germany, and Italy), Japan and South America. He is generally recognized as an informative, knowledgeable and entertaining speaker.
Professional Affiliations: Dr. Scacchi is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), and Software Process Association (SPA). In addition, he is on the editorial board of the Encyclopedia of Software Engineering (published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc, NY), the journal Computer Supported Cooperative Work, and the journal Software Process--Practice and Experience.
Curriculum Vita: Dr. Scacchi's academic CV, approximately 23 printed
pages (single space) in length, and providing much
more detail on my research publications, invited talks, etc. can be found
on the World Wide Web at the location,
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~wscacchi/vita.html.
Prior Acquisition Research and Experience:
Dr. Scacchi has been principal or co-principal investigator in multiple research projects in the broad areas of acquisition, procurement and corporate financial operations since 1994, and in large-scale software engineering since 1980. In 1999-2000 and 2000-2001, together with Prof. Richard N. Taylor at UCI, he received a grant from the Defense Acquisition University for investigating new information technologies that support research in software systems acquisition. In addition, he has published numerous research studies and results based on his work in these areas, as indicated below.
Research publications addressing acquisition topics: In the Biography section above, a dozen recent research publications are cited as relevant to this research study. More specifically, Dr. Scacchi has published the following set of papers addressing research topics and results specific to acquisition and procurement within the DoD environment:
Dr. Scacchi's current research efforts, including those started in the last 12 months are investigating the following subjects (citations can be found above in the References section).
Other Current Research Projects for Co-Principal Investigator:
Professor Taylor's research is focused on the design and evolution of complex
systems and processes. His approach has three major components: hyperware,
software architecture, and workflow/process technology. The U.S. Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the primary sponsor of this
research, formerly as part of the Evolutionary Design of Complex Software
(EDCS) program and now as part of the
RENES program and the
DASADA (Dynamic Assembly for System Adaptability, Dependability,
and Assurance) program.
Other Pending Research Proposals for Principal-Investigator:
Dr. Scacchi has no other research proposals submitted at this time, but
a proposal to the National Science Foundation is now in development, with
submission targeted for 2Q 2001.
Institutional Support for Proposed Research Effort:
The newly established Institute for Software Research at the University of California in Irvine, CA has decided to develop a new research competency in the area of software systems acquisition. Dr. Walt Scacchi joined the ICS Dept. at UCI in 1999 and then ISR to help lead this research area. This research will benefit from collaboration with people and access to resources available within the Institute for Software Research at UCI directed by Professor Richard Taylor. Professor Taylor's agreement to serve as the Co-Principal Investigator at no cost to the proposed effort underscores ISR's and ICS's institutional commitment to help establish a new research program in software systems acquisition. ISR currently has research projects in the area of advanced software engineering with support from DARPA and other corporate sponsors. The initial effort in establishing a research competency at the UCI ISR in the area of software systems acquisition is thus well positioned to draw on this unique mix of expertise relevant to the technological and organizational dimensions of acquisition research. It also suggests that other new or follow-on research projects in software systems acquisition at UCI which leverage funding from other external sources (DARPA, NSF, etc.) can be expected in the future.
Thus, UCI seeks to attain a position of international prominence and recognition in the area of software systems acquisition research that complement and extend efforts within ISR and the ICS department.
Project Coordination and Long-Term Acquisition Research Program
As Principal Investigator of this proposed effort, Dr. Scacchi has been
engaged in research addressing acquisition and procurement in U.S. military
organizations since 1994. These efforts have been externally supported with
research contracts and grants from the Office of Naval Research and the Deputy
Assistant Secretary for the Air Force for Computers, Communications and Support
Systems through Rome Laboratories. As principal or co-principal investigator,
Dr. Scacchi has received approximately $1M in external funding for his research
in this area. Dr. Scacchi thus has established a long-term research interest
and programmatic investigation in the areas relevant to acquisition research
over the past five years. The funding of this proposed effort will enable
the continuation and expansion of this research capability.
Cost Proposal and Budget
Budget rationale: The proposed research requires 2.25 person months of effort by the lead researcher and Principal Investigator in this study, Dr. Walt Scacchi. Standard UCI rates for fringe benefits (17% of salary costs) are included, as are standard indirect costs rates (50.4% of direct costs). Professor Richard Taylor as Co-Principal Investigator on the proposed effort, has agreed to support the proposed effort at no direct cost. In addition, this research will benefit from two trips by Dr. Scacchi to meet with other acquisition researchers and scholars at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA roughly at the beginning and end of the proposed study period. These meetings are intended to provide an open communication channel with others in the acquisition research community, as well as to solicit their feedback and suggested refinements with the proposed research approach and relevant details.
The proposed effort is scheduled for a period that starts approximately
1 April 2001 and completes by 31 March 2002. An Optional Phase II proposed
effort is scheduled for a period that starts approximately 1 April 2002 and
completes by 31 March 2003. However, as the proposed effort does not require
the full time effort of the lead researcher on this project, then a later
project start date should not require a change of schedule or proposed completion
date, though such matters are subject to negotiation if necessary.
|
|
|||
Proposed FY-01 (Phase I) budget and cost itemization
*** Removed :-) ***
Proposed FY-02 (Phase II-Option) budget and cost itemization