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Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Business Transformation(AT&L(BT)), both within AT&L, and with participation by themilitary services and the Business Transformation Agency.Providing strategic functional vision and leadership, Bliss establishedthe foundational data governance and management conceptsand methodologies to be employed and Krzysko providedtechnical vision and leadership, establishing the SOA middlewareframework and SOA infrastructure required for the demonstration.AT&L ARA staff developed functional requirements and thepolicy framework. The Business Transformation Office published astraightforward technical approach and arranged to host the SOAinfrastructure.In the proceeding months, Bliss and Krzysko led all aspects ofthe AT&L SOA demonstration to triumphant completion.SOA FrameworkSOA is not just an architectural style of services seen from atechnology perspective, it encompasses the policies, practices andbusiness processes through which governance ensures the rightinformation is provided to, and consumed by, users.SOA separates data governance from the tools that use the data,thus making authoritative data immediately available to users.Under SOA, data is pulled directly from sources the military servicesand other data providers designate as “authoritative.” These dataelements are then “federated” and made available for consumptionby any authorized user through any authorized tool.A federated database, or virtual database system, is a type ofmeta-database management system which transparently integratesmultiple autonomous database systems into a single federatedor merged database. The databases are interconnected via acomputer network and can be geographically decentralized.The problem that needs to be overcome is not simple. For themost part, current data systems were implemented to electronicallymimic pre-existing paper-based systems. SOA is reaching for aprofoundly different data model; one in which data is transparentlyavailable throughout the enterprise to whomever has a legitimateneed for the data as soon as it is developed.The existence of a well-functioning SOA infrastructure does noteliminate periodic program reviews and the data displays associatedwith them. On the contrary, it profoundly transforms programreviews. Instead of just providing raw data, data will be interpretedfor decision making by senior acquisition managers. This change isimmense!SOA Governance and Data ElementsSOA requires a SOA governance institution. The creation of thegovernance structure during the AT&L SOA Demo, shown in Figure2, among others, includes acquisition officials from AT&L(ARA),AT&L(BT), Army, Navy, Air Force and Defense Acquisition ManagementInformation Retrieval.DAMIR is a DoD system that provides enterprise visibility to acquisitionprogram information. The primary goal of DAMIR is tostreamline acquisition management and oversight by leveragingthe capabilities of a net-centric environment.In its current configuration, the tool must encompass all themeans for obtaining and purifying its own data. Even so, maintainingdata coherence with sources is a perpetual — and losing struggle.Under SOA, DAMIR is re-plumbed to extract data from the SOAserver, which is already authoritative. The difference for DAMIR willbe immense (almost no data effort), and perhaps new tools of unanticipatedsophistication and functionality can be easily pluggedinto the SOA data server, and all the tools will be using the samedata at any point in time.The WSLM CBM data governance structure has a charter to addressthe three key elements of data infrastructure management:data definitions, technical standards and unambiguous assignmentof institutional responsibility to maintain the single authoritativecopy of each governed data element.The SOA Demonstration leveraged 61 data elements associatedwith the management of 12 MDAPs. The results showed thatcommercial information technology tools, with careful regulationof the definition and technical standards, permit secure and transparentuse of data from disparate sources that facilitate an acquisitionuser-defined operating picture (UDOP) for business systems,similar to use in warfighting systems.Data brought under governance for the subsequent pilot include140 elements in the following major categories:EV (Earned Value) Data – Elements used in the demo plus additionalcontract elements included in DAMIR’s “Contract Data Point”and/or reported on the Contract Performance Report (CPR).Nunn-McCurdy Unit Cost – Current Estimate, Current AcquisitionProgram Baseline (APB) and the original APB Unit Cost Datareported at the total appropriation level (i.e., RDT&E, Procurement,MILCON and O&M).Budget Submission – Last president’s budget and ProgramObjective Memorandum (POM)/Budget Estimate Submission(BES) by appropriation and fiscal year to provide a reference pointfor POM 10 analysis.Milestone – Program acquisition milestones as agreed fromAPB(s).Science and Technology – Key Performance Parameters,thresholds, objectives and current measurement.Program Management (General) – General program administrationelements.Through this governance body, agreement to data definitions,identification of authoritative sources for the required data, andachievement of data availability for on-demand access were accomplishedfor the demonstration and pilot. A central managementfocus is required to coordinate business processes and informationrequirements to avoid duplicative efforts and costs whileAcquisitionInstitutionsAT&LDOT&EOther OSDServicesAgenciesWSLM CBMDefense Acquisition ManagementSenior Steering GroupLed by Nancy SpruillCore Business Management GroupLed by Phil RodgersDefine DefenseAcquisition DataElementsAcquisition IssuesLed by Gary BlissAssign acquisitionalresponsibility formaintenance of theauthoritative copyTechnical IssuesIT Led Issues by Mark KrzyskoLed by Mark KrzyskoEstablish SOAservices technicalapproach for makingdata availableFigure 2. AT&L SOA Governance Structure.TransformationalInstitutionsBTANIICIOsServicesAgenciesCHIPS October – December 2008 49