The Government Accountability Office has issued a guide for agencies seeking to evaluate the readiness of acquired technologies for deployment.
GAO said Tuesday the Technology Readiness Assessment Guide aims to provide details on TRA best practices and include information that program managers, governing bodies and technology developers may use in determining a capability’s readiness as well as the efficiency of currently implemented TRAs.
According to the watchdog, a TRA serves as a systematic and evidence-based process for evaluating the maturity of hardware, software and methodologies “critical to the performance of a larger system” or fulfillment of acquisition programs.
“TRAs, which evaluate the technical maturity of a technology at a specific point in time for inclusion into a larger system, do not eliminate technology risk,” the agency noted. “But when done well, they can illuminate concerns and serve as the basis for realistic discussions on how to address potential risks as programs move from the early research and technology development to system development and beyond.”