Acquisition and Systems Analysis

MITRE has experts throughout its FFRDCs who focus on estimating cost and schedule resources for system development, production, operations, and maintenance of sponsors' projects.

Overview

Since its beginnings, MITRE has helped its sponsors acquire large, complex systems such as those for the military, for information technology investments, and for the National Airspace System. By developing and communicating ways to conduct economic analyses for large-scale investment decisions, MITRE helps our sponsors to accept and control risks, enhancing their ability to acquire systems that are technically feasible and cost effective.

MITRE employs acquisition and systems analysis experts throughout the company who focus on a variety of tasks. These include estimating cost and schedule resources for system development, production, operations, and maintenance of sponsors' projects; developing acquisition strategies and assisting with source selection; performing cost, price, and technical analyses for contract negotiations; and performing financial analyses and identifying process reengineering opportunities. These experts apply a variety of systems engineering tools to aid in modeling and managing enterprise architectures, understanding complex systems, and assessing and managing risk. For instance, our RiskNav® tool, originally produced for the U.S. government, is designed to capture, analyze, and display risks at a project or enterprise level. RiskNav® is currently deployed throughout the intelligence community, at the Air Force's Electronic Systems Center, at the Federal Aviation Administration, and by other MITRE sponsors.

MITRE also has a technical center of excellence, the Center for Acquisition and Systems Analysis, or CASA, which is committed to providing multi-disciplinary acquisition and investment decisions analysis for our government sponsors. CASA's analysts channel their expertise and ideas into developing ways for MITRE's government sponsors to more effectively manage their information technology investments. CASA employs advanced analytical methods to help sponsors tackle problems that can range from scheduling millions of tons of military supplies to arrive at the correct ports to designing airport lines that minimize wait times for passengers.

In addition, our Systems Engineering Practice Office provides practical advice and guidance about acquisition and systems engineering processes and collects best practices to share throughout the company. The office captures, refines, and shares this information with MITRE and government agencies as it leads the way for process improvement to the benefit of MITRE's sponsors.

Current Work Programs

Some of our projects in this area include:

• Developing the "Program Management Toolkit," a Web-based resource that helps guide program managers through the world of risk assessment and management.
• Developing the "Risk Management Toolkit," which measures the effectiveness of an effort's acquisition strategy and the process for implementing and sustaining the strategy.
• Conducting an in-depth study to learn how government agencies can more effectively comply with requirements from the Office of Management and Budget.
• Supporting the IRS in its organization-wide IT modernization and acquisition strategies.
• Delivering life cycle models tailored to a unique maintenance strategy and risk management tools built around the acquisition strategy and technical characteristics of a sponsor's program.
• Developing case studies and alternatives for the evolution of the air traffic management system infrastructure, especially for en route and traffic flow management systems—and for the communication, navigation, and surveillance systems.

Related Information

Articles and News

• Employee Spotlight: Acquisitions as a Career Choice
• Many Happy Returns: Gaining Converts to e-File
• MITRE's Security Standards Support Massive Government IT Alignment
• A New Discipline: Systems Engineering for Complex Megasystems
• ORmadillos Dig into Complex Operations Research Problems
• Ready or Not: Technology Assessments Save Time and Money
• Making Army Battle Command Systems Play Together
• Applying Neuroscience to Hard-to-Solve Problems
• A New Approach to Analyzing Enterprise Architectures
• Mapping Among Independently Developed Aviation Information Systems Increases Interoperability
• Project Alpha Expedites Search for Ideas for a Changing Military
• Modeling the Airspace Can Improve Aviation Efficiency

Technical Papers and Presentations

• Achieving Effective Results in Acquisition: Guidelines for Recommended Actions
• Information Technology Acquisition: A Common-Sense Approach
• Agent-Directed Simulation for Systems Engineering
• Advancing E-file Study Phase 1 Report
• Advancing E-file Study Phase 1 Report—Executive Summary
• On the Pursuit of Enterprise Systems Engineering Ideas
• An Index to Measure and Monitor a System-of-Systems' Performance Risk
• Integrated Architecture-Based Portfolio Investment Strategies
• Effectively Complying with Key OMB Requirements
• Solving Probabilistic Airspace Congestion: Preliminary Benefits Analysis
• A Predictive Model of User Equipage Costs for Future Air Traffic Services and Capabilities: An ADS-B Example
• Analysis of Advanced Flight Management Systems (FMSs)
• Architectures Driving Efficiencies into Air Force Operations
• Process Control System Security Technical Risk Assessment: Analysis of Problem Domain

Websites

• MITRE's Systems Engineering Practice Office (SEPO) Newsletter: Collaborations
• 2007 MITRE Technology Symposium - Investment Strategies and Operational Analysis
• 2006 MITRE Technology Symposium - Investment Strategies and Operational Analysis
• 2005 MITRE Technology Symposium - Investment Strategies and Operational Analysis
• 2004 MITRE Technology Symposium - Investment Strategies and Operational Analysis
• Systems Engineering Practice Office (SEPO)

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