The objective of the Test and Evaluation function is to systematically assess the products of a development effort against the stated requirements, provide decision authorities with objective information characterizing the progress of the development effort, help manage risks, identify and subsequently confirm resolution of deficiencies, and ensure systems are operationally mission capable. T&E activities demonstrate the system meets established operational objectives, capability-based requirements, and mandated exit criteria before moving to the next development phase.
To accomplish this, the T&E agents perform the following:
- Collaborate with requirements sponsors and system developers to gain insight into program requirements that drive T&E efforts;
- Provide timely, accurate, and affordable information to decision makers to support production and fielding decisions;
- Perform testing to insure that all requirements are satisfied;
- Perform independent test results evaluations where critical, to confirm compliance;
- Develop detailed assessments of system with respect to operational effectiveness, survivability, operational suitability, support logistics, operator training, and system security.
- Provide information to operators to allow them to assess mission impacts, develop doctrines, improve requirements, develop logistics and training plans, and refine Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP)
The following T&E principles are based on Department of Defense (DOD) 5000-series documents and GreenDart lessons learned. The unifying theme is that the T&E team must collaborate across the customer, developer, test, and user communities to achieve the most effective T&E results.
- Program Specific Tailoring. All T&E strategies and procedures are adaptable to fit the needs of acquisition programs consistent with sound systems engineering practices, common sense, statutory and regulatory guidelines, and the time-sensitive nature of operators’ requirements. T&E plans are formed by tailoring standard strategies and procedures to address specific program requirements, with an expectation that in-progress adjustments may be needed.
- Early Tester Involvement. The early incorporation of T&E expertise and operational insight, preferably before the concept refinement phase, is a key to successful initiation of new programs. In some cases, T&E may enter at a more mature phase. In these instances, substantial background needs to be covered to be effective.
- Early Deficiency Resolution. Deficiencies must be identified and resolved as early as possible to mitigate development costs impacts.
- Schedules and Exit Criteria Observed. T&E efforts are allocated against developer schedules and operational deployment timelines to achieve timely system performance verification. Satisfaction of development milestone exit criteria, whether statutory, policy driven, or customer specified are explicitly addressed in T&E planning.
How GreenDart can help you: We are proven experts in designing and executing T&E programs for all hardware and software developmental program efforts. Please contact us.
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