Measure and Assess the Effectiveness of Navy and DoD Pilot BA-08 (Software) Program Performance

Abstract

The software development problem within the Department of Defense (DOD) is that the software acquisition process is not optimized for continuous development. A disconnect exists between best practices in software development and the ability to balance and deliver utilizing multiple appropriations. The software and digital technology pilot program, BA-08 pilot program, was formed to explore the benefits of single appropriation acquisition and how it could assist in mitigating the software development problem. The following questions are addressed: Does realigning funding provide a more manageable acquisition path for continuous delivery of software capability? How are the DOD’s current software acquisition practices providing a hindrance to continuous delivery of capability? Is the BA-08 program most effective with commercial or DOD-specific software? We concluded that the report findings did not present enough evidence to conclude that the improvements seen across the programs could be singularly tied to the programs’ participation in the BA-08 pilot because the majority of the programs are also enrolled in additional initiatives. Additionally, there was not enough data collected by the program to come to a conclusion on the distinction if the BA-08 program was most effective with the acquisition of commercial software, or with DOD-specific capability.