Test and Evaluation Policies and Practices: A New Emphasis

摘要

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently issued new and revised test and evaluation (T&E) policies that represent a shift in emphasis toward the evaluation side of T&E and promote a continued emphasis on integrated testing. The revised policies focus on using T&E throughout the system life cycle in a seamless continuum. This revision of T&E policies represents one of many actions the Department is taking to revitalize T&E and to ensure that T&E is timely, effective, and efficient. The revised policy responds to a 2007 review of DoD T&E and its applicability to emerging acquisition approaches. The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation and the Office of the Deputy Director, Developmental Test and Evaluation conducted the review and delivered the resulting report to Congress in July 2007 in compliance with Section 231 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, Public Law 109-364. The report, known as the '231 report,' is the latest in a series of reviews and studies of DoD T&E that signaled the shift in DoD T&E policy. The December 2007 policy and the findings from the 231 report can be grouped into four broad themes: (1) Emphasis on evaluation, (2) Focus on capabilities and limitations, (3) Integrated and seamless T&E, and (4) Developmental T&E reporting.