Department of Defense INSTRUCTION

DoDI 5000.02, January 7, 2015
ENCLOSURE 4
DEVELOPMENTAL TEST AND EVALUATION (DT&E)
1. PURPOSE. This enclosure provides policy and procedure for developmental test and
evaluation of defense acquisition programs.
2. OVERVIEW
a. Program managers use DT&E activities to manage and mitigate risks during development,
to verify that products are compliant with contractual and operational requirements, and to
inform decision makers throughout the program life cycle. DT&E provides program engineers
and decision makers with knowledge to measure progress, identify problems, and to characterize
system capabilities and limitations, and manage technical and programmatic risks. DT&E results
are also used as exit criteria to ensure adequate progress prior to investment commitments or
initiation of phases of the program, and as the basis for contract incentives.
b. DT&E starts with capability requirements and continues through product development,
delivery, and acceptance; transition to operational test and evaluation (T&E); production; and
operations and support. Consideration of developmental test and evaluation in the requirements
and systems engineering processes ensures that capability requirements are measurable, testable,
and achievable. Identifying and correcting deficiencies early is less costly than discovering
system deficiencies late in the acquisition process.
c. The Program Manager will use a Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) as the primary
planning and management tool for the integrated test program. Whenever feasible, testing will
be conducted in an integrated fashion to permit all stakeholders to use data in support of their
respective functions. Integrated testing requires the collaborative planning and collaborative
execution of test phases and events to provide shared data in support of independent analysis,
evaluation, and reporting by all stakeholders, particularly the systems engineering,
developmental (both contractor and government) and operational T&E communities. The
Program Manager will establish an integrated test planning group consisting of empowered
representatives of test data producers and consumers (to include all applicable stakeholders) to
ensure collaboration and to develop a strategy for robust, efficient testing to support systems
engineering, evaluations, and certifications throughout the acquisition life cycle.
d. The Program Manager will identify the test resources needed to execute the DT&E
program to acquire the data that will be used to understand program progress, identify issues,
verify compliance, and balance cost and performance. Test resource requirements will be
included in the TEMP.
e. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Developmental Test and Evaluation
(DASD(DT&E)) will monitor the development test and evaluation program activities of Major
Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs), Major Automated Information System (MAIS)
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ENCLOSURE 4