Elements of a decision-making framework for early-phase system of systems acquisition

Current guidance for the USA's defense acquisition processes have been formalized in the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS). The enhanced requirements from these policies and procedures have made system of systems (SoS) acquisitions more difficult as defense agencies try to implement the updated practices. Many of the associated challenges are a result of the fundamental characteristics of SoS, such as multiple-stakeholders with conflicting preferences, high levels of complexity, considerable uncertainty, large numbers of alternatives, multidimensional, etc. In turn, these attributes complicate the decision-making process found in almost every phase of SoS engineering (SoSE) activities. Various techniques and lessons learned from fields outside of the classic SoS purview have been explored and analyzed for feasibility in responding to the challenge to improve SoS acquisition decision making. The areas of corporate acquisition, cognitive psychology, strategic decision making, and visual analytics are described and considered for early-phase defense acquisition processes. When combined, these elements can support a significantly improved decision-making framework to facilitate evidence-based decision making in SoS acquisition challenges.