Evaluating the Utility of Human Readiness Levels (HRLs) with Human System Integration Assessments (HSIAs)

Abstract

An industry-wide Human Readiness Level (HRL) working group was established to revisit and mature previous work conducted on establishing an HRL scale. A releasable and generalizable set of HRLs, including the questions to be answered at each level and the corresponding exit criteria, has been completed and is currently being verified through a variety of case studies. The objective of this research is to describe the current state of the HRL scale and apply it to a program of record to determine its corresponding HRL based on the findings of its Human System Integration Assessment (HSIA). The HSIA documents potential or known issues that could impede or prevent the users’ ability to operate, maintain, and sustain the system. Three HSIAs for the program are analyzed at different acquisition milestones to determine whether the HRL accurately captures the HSI issues for the developing system.