Developmental Test, Evaluation and Assessment

About the Office of Developmental Test, Evaluation and Assessment

DT&E of Software Guidebook

Introduction

This guidebook provides focused guidance and recommended practices for early, and developmental test and evaluation (DT&E) of acquisitions in a development, security, operations (DevSecOps) context. "Early acquisitions" represents those programs before formal designation as a program of record.

Scope

This guidebook expands on the general test and evaluation (T&E) guidance provided by the Test & Evaluation Enterprise Guidebook and complements the Software Acquisition Pathway-specific guidance in the T&E Enterprise Guidebook, Chapter 5. The emphasis of this guidebook is on how T&E strategy, planning, execution, and analysis must adapt to support the rapid iterative framework of Agile and DevSecOps regardless of acquisition pathway. The goal of this guidebook is to help Government test teams in a single T&E continuum:

Plan and execute DT&E of software intensive and cyber physical systems in a DevSecOps environment, and

Introduce operationally relevant conditions early and optimize the use of these early tests in support of meeting independent OT&E and LFT&E objectives.

Application

Testing organizations should be involved with the acquisition program early and continually throughout its lifecycle to support effective and efficient evaluations and delivery timelines. Contractor development testing, government developmental testing, system safety assessment, security certifications, and operational test and evaluation should be integrated, streamlined, and automated to the maximum extent practicable to enable rapid analysis of test data and evaluation of system operational effectiveness, suitability, and survivability to inform the decision authorities. Maximum sharing, reciprocity, availability, and reuse of test results and artifacts among testing and certification organizations are necessary for success.

Study of DoDI 5000.87 T&E Implementation

OSD DOT&E and USD(R&E) DTE&A have cooperatively developed a survey intended for software intensive systems to gain insight into best practices for Government testing of software acquisition programs. The results will be non-attributional to a particular program or individual; however, best practices or lessons learned that are positive may be highlighted during the DevSecOps Community of Practice (COP) or Software Modernization Action Officer Working Group (AOWG). Best practices will also inform future software test and evaluation (SW T&E) policy and guidance documentation.

We appreciate your assistance in this coordination and are eager to collect and publish best practices to assist the SW T&E community allowing for thorough testing at the speed of relevance.

Use the button below to access the survey:

Access the Survey

(note: Once you start the survey please don't close the window until you are done with the survey. Please be sure to hit the submit button at the end of the survey once you finish the survey.)