The Protection Division desires to make software program factories a typical presence throughout the division, in response to a brand new technique. To assist try this, DOD is betting on growth of particular pathways designed for purchasing software program.
“Reworking software program supply instances from years to minutes would require vital change to our processes, insurance policies, workforce, and expertise,” Hicks wrote.”The DOD Software program Modernization Technique offers the strategy for reaching quicker supply of software program capabilities in help of Division priorities similar to Joint All Area Command and Management and synthetic intelligence.”
DOD’s chief data officer, undersecretary of protection for acquisition and sustainment, and the beneath secretary of protection for analysis and engineering will lead implementation via a steering group, in response to memo dated Feb. 1 from Deputy Protection Secretary Kathleen Hicks.
To measure progress, the steering group is predicted to develop an implementation plan within the subsequent 180 days, overseeing progress on key efforts similar to elevated use of software program factories by DOD parts and use of the software program acquisition pathway.
Jason Weiss, the Pentagon’s chief software program officer, instructed reporters Feb. 7 that 35 applications at present use the software program acquisition pathway, and the technique is one in all a number of methods to encourage individuals to make use of this system, which debuted in 2020.
“We’re different ways in which we are able to determine and inspire applications that do have software program intensive applications, which by definition…might even be simply danger, it could not even be price,” Weiss mentioned.
“And by leveraging and reusing a few of the capabilities in these current software program factories, there’s going to be a value financial savings that would doubtlessly be realized by these applications. So I feel the most effective is but to return for the 5000.87 software program acquisition pathway.”
The doc launched Feb. 4 is a part of the bigger digital modernization technique unveiled in 2019 and can substitute the DOD cloud technique from 2018. The technique appears to collect all the division’s current initiatives concentrating on the way it buys and delivers software program with a key give attention to software program growth and the favored manufacturing facility mannequin – which has yielded 29 entities.
Eric Lofgren, a analysis fellow with the George Mason College’s Middle for Authorities Contracting, instructed FCW the memo exhibits that the software program manufacturing facility mannequin is progressing however the query of having the ability to efficiently propagate a tradition stays.
“The software program factories are good, however how will we deliver these processes to the overwhelming majority of DOD spending that actually issues…that tradition wants to return to the remainder of the system,” mentioned Lofgren, who’s engaged on a mission that evaluates find out how to enhance protection acquisition with out vital reforms.
“How will we get these bubbles – the ethos and the tradition of these bubbles,” such because the Protection Innovation Unit and AFWERX, he mentioned, “to really bridge to the actual applications with the actual cash.”
The technique outlines a number of targets, together with bettering DOD’s cloud surroundings by maturing contracts and getting ready for cloud infrastructure exterior the continental U.S, in addition to tweaking coverage and making acquisition extra agile. Furthermore, the doc acknowledges the necessity to use DevSecOps and the continual authority to function so software program modifications could be made rapidly. (DOD launched a separate memo that acknowledges it as part of the Threat Administration Framework.)
Weiss, the Pentagon’s chief software program officer, mentioned software program factories could be important to growing future coverage and collaborating throughout the division.
“We’re seeing numerous classes discovered begin to percolate to the highest, and quite a lot of collaboration happening via issues like our devsecops group of apply,” Weiss mentioned. “So it’s a residing and respiration ecosystem. And we’re going to be and listening to these software program factories to find out what coverage modifications to prioritize and when to have an effect on them.”