Software Acquisition Survival Skills

This three-day course is designed for program managers and their staff members. It presents an integrated, unique acquisition perspective on key topics in software system acquisition, including risk management, requirements management, pre-award activities, systems engineering, software architecture, technical evaluation, project metrics, and process management. The course provides a broad overview of the skills needed in a program office to manage software acquisition, enabling program managers to recognize the needs of their programs in relation to the skills of their staff. More in-depth knowledge of many of these topics can be obtained through related SEI course offerings.

During the course, participants are presented with common problems that affect real acquisition programs. The course explores the nature and the impact of each problem, along with ways to recognize the symptoms, avoidance methods, and recovery techniques. Composed of lectures and class exercises, this course allows ample opportunity for questions and discussions and provides actionable tips and a set of tools and reference resources to help in the management of current and future projects.