3.1.1 Defining an Integration Readiness Level for Defense Acquisition

TLDR

There is a pressing need to analyze system interoperability in defense, requiring a common metric to assess interoperability during system development and acquisition. The paper aims to present a verified and validated Integration Readiness Level (IRL) and a supporting guide of critical maturation criteria. The authors review the IRL foundations, develop a guide, conduct a survey to assess decision‑criteria criticality, and discuss the implications for defense acquisition.

Abstract

Abstract There is a tremendous need to analyze system interoperability within Defense for both government and industry. Part of this challenge is the need for a metric that can be used as a common ontology and assess the state of interoperability in system's development and acquisition. Previous research developments have created an Integration Readiness Level (IRL) that complements the well‐established Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the Department of Defense. This paper expands upon this work with the objective of presenting a verified and validated IRL and supporting guide of critical maturation criteria. We will review the foundations of this IRL, describe our development of a “guide” to support the IRLs, present the results of a survey to assess the criticality of decision criteria in the “guide,” and conclude with a discussion of the results and their implications to defense acquisition.