Standing up an IT enterprise is a complicated process, made more so when the technologies being implemented aren’t ready for primetime. To avoid this — or at least make it less likely — the Government Accountability Office is working on a reference guide to help agencies document the maturity of new technologies before they move forward on major projects.
The new technology readiness assessment (TRA) guide is designed to give IT managers and contract officials a “systematic, evidence-based process that evaluates the maturity of hardware and software technologies” before an agency buys them.
Download: Technology Readiness Assessment Guide
“Many of the government’s most costly and complex acquisition efforts require the development of cutting-edge technologies and their integration into large and complex systems,” the report notes, specifically citing things like “fighter aircraft, nuclear waste treatment facilities, electronic baggage screening equipment and telescopes for exploring the universe.”
Some agencies — like the Defense Department, NASA and the Department of Energy — already use TRAs as part of their procurement process. But few agencies have a codified process for conducting these evaluations, which can create issues with credibility and reusability.
TRAs “do not eliminate technology risk, but when done well, can illuminate concerns and serve as the basis for realistic discussions on how to mitigate potential risks as programs move from the early stages of technology development — where resource requirements are relatively modest — to system development and beyond, where resource requirements are often substantial.”
The guide looks to fill that role by collecting procedures and best practices for technology assessments.
The guide also notes the TRAs can be used by oversight agencies — like GAO — to evaluate ongoing programs using a standard assessment.
The comprehensive, 147-page guide is broken into 10 chapters, including a breakdown of what TRAs are (or should be), their limitations and best practices for specific areas of use.
The guide also includes case studies showing how TRAs could have prevented issues with major programs and other useful examples of the assessments in action.
For example:
GAO is looking for public input on the guide and plans to keep the draft open until Aug. 10, 2017. Comments can be submitted through tell.gao.gov/traguide.
Once finalized, GAO intended to maintain the guide as a living document to stay up-to-date as technologies and best practices evolve.
