Implementing new RAM initiatives in Army Test And Evaluation

Abstract

This paper describes the processes for implementing new Department of the Army (DA) reliability policy directives [1] issued by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, or ASA(ALT). It highlights key points of the implementation guide [2] prepared by the U.S. Army Evaluation Center (AEC) and the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC). The implementation plan herein utilizes GEIA-STD-0009 [3] for developing contract language promoting reliability best practices. The Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity's (AMSAA's) new Reliability Program Scorecard [4] is used for performing early-on engineering evaluations of contractor reliability engineering activities. Note that both of these tools are outcomes of the Department of Defense (DoD) Reliability Improvement Working Group (RIWG) [5]. The implementation plan also addresses the Defense Science Board (DSB) recommendation [6] and the new DoD acquisition regulations [7] to establish Reliability Growth (RG) programs for developmental systems. Growth programs and associated planning curves are constructed via AMSAA's Planning Model based on Projection Methodology, hereafter referred to as PM2 [8, 9]. Finally, AMSAA's COnsumption, HOlding, Repair and Transportation (COHORT) cost model [10, 11] is utilized to identify life cycle cost impacts for systems that breach their established reliability thresholds.