Purpose:

Identify issues as early as possible to maximize the time available to resolve them.

Objective:

Decisions are based on an evaluation of alternatives using established criteria.

Description:

Evaluate Alternatives is about making the right decisions through a structured approach. It involves identifying issues/situations that require analysis through formal and structured approaches and shall be applied to three key aspects of the project as given below:

    • Selection of Suppliers – Selection of Supplier is described in the IT Procurement/ SAM Process – Select Suppliers where Supplier Proposal Evaluation Matrix is developed to down-select the Suppliers
    • Selection of Architecture Alternatives – Selection of Architecture Alternatives shall be done during the Architectural Design sub-phase of the Define Phase. Choosing Architecture Alternatives helps in the careful comparison and evaluation of alternatives that enables designing a robust architecture. The DAR process shall be applied only when selecting new architecture for a project. For projects that continue to use existing architectures, the DAR process may not be needed.
    • Build/Buy/Reuse Tradeoff Study – Build/Buy/Reuse is about investigating options and documenting the rationale for “Building a new system”/”Buying a COTS product”/”Reusing an existing system”. Again at the Define Phase, this analysis is carried out both at the product and major component levels. The DAR process shall be used to evaluate the options formally.


Risk Management is another area where a formal evaluation – DAR process may be used. High-risk areas are also subjected to formal evaluation to identify effective mitigation plan(s).

The process steps described below are generic steps that shall be followed for an issue, which is subjected to a formal evaluation.

Inputs:

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Outputs:

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Controls:

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Task Instructions:

Establish Guidelines for Decision Analysis

    1. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for establishing guidelines for when to use a formal evaluation process.
    2. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for incorporating the use of guidelines into the defined process as appropriate.

Establish Evaluation Criteria

    1. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for defining the criteria for evaluating alternative solutions.
    2. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for defining the range and scale for ranking the evaluation criteria.
    3. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for ranking the criteria.
    4. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for assessing the criteria and their relative importance.
    5. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for evolving the evaluation criteria to improve their validity.
    6. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for documenting the rationale for the selection and rejection of evaluation criteria.

Identify Alternative Solutions

    1. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for performing a literature search.
    2. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for identifying alternatives for consideration in addition to the alternatives that may be provided with the issue.
    3. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for documenting proposed alternatives. 

Select Evaluation Methods

    1. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for selecting methods based on the purpose of analyzing a decision and on the availability of the information used to support the method.
    2. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for selecting evaluation methods based on their ability to focus on the issues at hand without being overly influenced by side issues.
    3. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for determining the measures needed to support the evaluation method. 

Evaluate Alternative Solutions

    1. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for evaluating proposed alternative solutions using the established evaluation criteria and selected methods.
    2. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for evaluating assumptions related to the evaluation criteria and the evidence that supports the assumptions.
    3. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for evaluating whether uncertainty in the values for alternative solutions affects the evaluation and addresses these uncertainties as appropriate.
    4. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for performing simulations, modeling, prototypes, and pilots as necessary to exercise the evaluation criteria, methods, and alternative solutions. 
    5. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for considering new alternative solutions, criteria, or methods if proposed alternatives do not test well; repeat evaluations until alternatives do test well.
    6. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for documenting the results of the evaluation. 

Select Solutions

    1. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for assessing the risks associated with implementing the recommended
      solution.
    2. Using the <?>, [the ?] with support from <?> is responsible for documenting and communicating to relevant stakeholders the results and
      the rationale for the recommended solution.