Recommendations for Managing Software Reuse

A handbook has been developed for program office (PO) use to manage software reuse and its associated risks. Government policies strongly encourage software reuse in the interests of more rapid fielding, lower life cycle costs, and increased interoperability. However, this approach to product development is fraught with risks, and must be managed properly. The handbook provides a Software Reuse Risk Guide that lists major risk areas, associated risk questions, and a brief tutorial to help a PO identify program risks related to software reuse. Risk templates are included to help a PO assess these risks. The handbook also provides sample wording for a Request for Proposal (RFP) to ensure the PO has consistent information about the offerors' software reuse approaches during a source selection and appropriate levels of insight into the contractor's software reuse approach and design activities after contract award. The handbook includes wording, extensively vetted with subject matter experts, for an RFP's Statement of Objectives, Statement of Work, and Contract Data Requirements List as well as for the Special Contract Requirements (Section H), Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors (Section K), Information to Offerors and Instructions for Proposal Preparation (Section L) and Evaluation Factors for Award (Section M). Sample wording is also included for a Request for Information and evaluation criteria for an Award Fee Plan. In addition, the handbook contains (1) detailed worksheets to be completed by the offeror/contractor about a software reuse product's applicability, availability timeline, maturity, modification, and other attributes, (2) a spreadsheet to standardize offerors' presentations of sizing, schedule, and historical information for software reuse products, and (3) an approved Data Item Description for a Reuse Management Report.