MITRE's Systems Engineering Pays Off for Civil Agencies
Stu Lesley
April 2012
 |
MITRE's Stu Lesley knows that good systems engineering is a key component of a successful enterprise transformation process. |
|
|
Stu Lesley plays a number of different roles for his customers—independent assessor, integrated project team catalyst, and trusted adviser. His engineering and integration skills and technical acumen have enabled his customers to improve their acquisition and businesses practices and modernize their technical infrastructure.
Lesley is an information systems engineer in MITRE's Center for Enterprise Modernization (CEM), a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service and co-sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. CEM's mission is to serve the public's interest by working with government and the private sector to enable the stability, integrity, and security of the nation's fiscal and economic infrastructure and support the transformation of government capabilities.
A large part of his work focuses on enterprise transformation design. This process optimizes an enterprise's business processes through the modification of policies, procedures, and processes to move the organization from an "as-is" state to a "to-be" state.
Promoting Good Systems Engineering Results
One of Lesley's projects was an enterprise transition effort for the IRS's Enterprise Architecture office. "This required considerable planning and really focused on developing the big picture. MITRE did a lot of what I would call heavy lifting—getting the processes and products refined to a point where the government was able to bring in a contractor to take over. It has had a lasting impact—they still use many of the procedures we recommended."
MITRE's New Carrollton
Maryland, site
Established in 2001, MITRE's site in New Carrollton, Md., supports a variety of customers including the IRS, VA, Treasury Department, Census Bureau, Commerce Department, GSA, and Securities and Exchange Commission. The site has approximately 65 permanent staff. |
|
| |
He adds, "This was one of my favorite assignments because it had the right combination of people and skills, and it all came together nicely."
For the Census Bureau's Technology Management Office (TMO), Lesley acted as a subject matter expert and facilitator. "Our team assisted the TMO in developing the RFPs [request for proposals] and the source selection process for their end-of-year procurements. We helped them meet their schedule and conduct their source selection in a clear, documented, and defendable manner.
"MITRE provided serious guidance to help them apply their procedures in a consistent manner, especially under significant time limitations. This process really helped them identify and award the best proposal. Plus, we documented the decisions and procedures well so that they could be reused.
"I think this project demonstrated how our role as a trusted adviser can really help an organization undergoing enterprise transformation," he says.
Not all his work with the Census Bureau has been with the TMO. "I was part of the planning team when they were researching projects for the next Census, in 2020. I worked on requirements management."
He currently provides infrastructure acquisition expertise to the General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA manages and supplies buildings, equipment, and property for federal agencies and it is responsible for nearly a quarter of the federal government's procurement dollars. "Right now I'm working with the GSA in developing two large, high-visibility acquisitions. The first is the cloud email blanket purchase order and the second is their internal enterprise IT services support contract."
Location is a Big Benefit
When he first came to MITRE in 2004, Lesley's office was at MITRE's McLean, Va., headquarters. But when the corporation announced they would be opening a site in New Carrollton, Md., he was one of the first to apply and move. "I live in Crofton, Md., which is between Washington, D.C. and Annapolis. Working at the New Carrollton site shortened my commute significantly. It also has the added benefit of being close to my customers."
Having spent several years in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, he has many ties to the region. "I'm a Ravens and Orioles fan, which isn't always easy. I also look forward to weekly racquetball games with my son and enjoy traveling and visiting bed and breakfasts with my wife."
In addition, he has been a science fair judge for the local schools. "Last month I was a judge at the Howard County STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] science fair. This was my second year, and it's a blast—looking at the projects, listening to the kids, catching their enthusiasm. I also just got my ham license [amateur radio operator], and I'm looking forward to devoting more time to that."
—by Kay M. Upham
Related Information
Articles and News
Technical Papers and Presentations
Websites
|
