tech track papers

Categories: 2019, Mission Assurance

Recent lessons learned from program execution to enable Risk Mitigation for future acquisition strategies

Recent Ball Aerospace built systems and system elements have identified several areas impact risk-based acquisition decisions. Ball’s customers and internal technology development activities have identified key areas to enable future architectures. These areas focus on shorter mission durations, command media driven execution, enhanced capabilities through advanced technology insertion, and most importantly all the above at a much faster rate of execution and delivery than has been observed in the past. These demands span from demonstration to operational environments with the caveat that demonstration missions are expected to be delivered with significant residual capabilities. This paper reviews examples of these activities from the perspective of three (3) recent program implementations as well as an architectural impact perspective. Implementation of these demands in a mission assurance framework that implements design assurance, quality assurance, and cyber security requirements from concept to on-orbit operations has presented several key areas for discussing acquisition opportunities and risk profile approaches that are significantly different than historical execution. Examples are fixed price vs. cost plus execution environments, risk based management of margins and where these margins are measured, and most importantly how contractors and acquisition organizations can work together to align requirements and understanding of offerings prior to contract award ensuring both parties understand what they achieve given the resources spent. These activities point to future architectures and the need for acquisition approaches to consider a broader more inclusive view of options and priorities to realize the desired missions. This can’t be done unless approaches to risk management, implementation of innovative technologies, and alternative development strategies are considered and implemented.

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Author: Eli Minson
Topic: Mission Assurance

  • Paper Minson, Eli - Recent lessons learned from program execution to enable Risk Mitigation for future acquisition strategies.pdf

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