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DoD Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC)

SERC-Internal Kickoff Tasks Workshop

Davidson Conference Center, USC - January 29-30, 2009

 

The SERC is the Department of Defense’s new University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) for systems engineering. It was won competitively by a team of 18 universities, led by Stevens Institute and USC. Stevens is now the SERC prime contractor, and USC is the SERC’s Principal Collaborator. This SERC-internal workshop will address the SERC’s first two tasks. One is to provide the sponsors and DoD with assessments of available systems engineering effectiveness measures (EMs). The other is to similarly assess available systems engineering methods, processes, and tools (MPTs).

The tasks have two main objectives. One is to identify and propagate information about the best-available EMs and MPTs in three DoD domains (weapons platforms, systems of systems, and net-centric services) across three levels of management (contractors, DoD Program Managers and Program Executive Officers, and DoD enterprise management). The other is to analyze gaps between DoD needs and available capabilities in the two areas; and to work with its sponsors to develop an agenda of EM and MPT research, technology maturity and transition, and technology awareness and education that help the DoD effect continuous improvement of its systems engineering capabilities. More information about the SERC can be found at http://www.sercuarc.org

This first SERC-internal workshop, January 29-30, is for just the EM and MPT task teams to coordinate their progress and plans, in concert with the SERC Research Integrity Team and other SERC collaborators. It will begin with WebEx summaries by the task sponsors of their objectives for the tasks and their desired results from the workshop. The task leaders will then summarize task progress to date, issues needing addressal, and the overall workshop approach. The performers for the two tasks will lead activities to close performance gaps, coordinate progress and address the issues. The workshop will end with a 130-230pm PST (430-530pm EST) outbrief to the sponsors on workshop results and identification of next steps by the EM and MPT task leaders. Subsequent SERC-external workshops will involve representative DoD and industry EM and MPT users and candidate EM pilot project representatives.