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Mission Engineering Competency Framework

Abstract

Mission engineering applies the mission context to complicated and complex system-of-systems. Most current systems engineering practices do not fully address the unique characteristics of mission engineering, i.e. addressing the end-to-end mission as the “system” and extending further beyond data exchange between the individual systems for cross-cutting functions, controls, and trades across the systems. This chapter provides insight into the critical knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform mission engineering.

Leads

Gregg Vesonder

Stevens Institute of Technology

Nicole Hutchison

Stevens Institute of Technology

Publications

  1. Collins , B. , Doskey , S. and Moreland , J. 2017 . Modeling the Convergence of Collaborative Systems of Systems: A Qualitative Case Study . Systems Engineering , Wiley Periodicals , Hoboken, US-NJ .

  2. Defense Acquisition University ( 2017 ). Defense Acquisitio,n Guidebook . Washington, DC : Pentagon .

  3. Deiotte , R. and Garrett , R.K. Jr. ( 2013 ). A Novel Approach to Mission-Level Engineering of Complex Systems of Systems: Addressing Integration and Interoperability Shortfalls by Interrogating the Interstitials . Missile Defense Agency 13-MDA-7269, 29 April.

  4. Expert Program Management ( 2017 ). Minute Tools Content Team, Political Awareness Skills, Minute Tools , Feb, 2017

  5. Garrett , R.K. Jr. , Anderson , S. , Baron , N.T. , and Moreland , J.D. Jr. ( 2011 ). Managing the interstitials, a system of systems framework suited for the ballistic missile defense system . Systems Engineering 14 ( 1 ): 87 – 109 .

  6. Glaser , B. and Strauss , A. ( 1967 ). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research . Chicago, IL : Aldine .

  7. Gold , R. ( 2016 ). Mission engineering . Proceedings of the 19th Annual National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Systems Engineering Conference , Springfield, VA, USA (24–27 October 2016).

  8. Hutchison , N. , Henry , D. , Pyster , A. , and Pineda , R. ( 2014 ). Early findings from interviewing systems engineers who support the U.S. Department of Defense . In: Proceedings of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) 24th International Symposium , Las Vegas, NV (30 June–3 July).

  9. Hutchison , N. , Verma , D. , Burke , P. et al. ( 2017 ). Atlas 1.1: The Theory of Effective Systems Engineers Revised . Hoboken, NJ : Stevens Institute of Technology. Systems Engineering Research Center . SERC-2018-TR-101-A.

  10. Hutchison , N. , Verma , D. , Burke , P. et al. ( 2018 ). Atlas 1.1: An update to the Theory of Effective Systems Engineers . Hoboken, NJ : Systems Engineering Research Center, Stevens Institute of Technology .

  11. Hutchison , N. , Verma , D. , Burke , P. et al. ( 2020 ). Atlas: Effective Systems Engineers and Systems Engineering . SERC-2020-TR-007-A. Hoboken, NJ : Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), Stevens Institute of Technology .

  12. INCOSE ( 2018 ). Systems Engineering Competency Framework . INCOSE-TP-2018-002-01.0. San Diego, CA, USA : International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) .

  13. Joint Chiefs of Staff ( 2018 ). Joint Operations , Joint Publication 3-0 . Arlington, VA : U.S. Department of Defense .

  14. Keating , C.B. , and Gheorghe , A.V. ( 2016 ). Systems thinking: Foundations for enhancing system of systems engineering . IEEE International Conference on Systems of Systems Engineering. Norway , 1 – 6 .

  15. Maier , M. ( 1998 ). Architecting principles for system-of-systems . Systems Engineering , 1 ( 4 ): 267 – 284 .

  16. Marvin , J.W. and Garrett , R.K. Jr. ( 2014 ). Quantitative SoS architecture modeling. complex adaptive systems conference . Procedia Computer Science 36 : 41 – 48 .

  17. Marvin , J. , Whalen , T. , Morantz , B. et al. ( 2014 ). Uncertainty quantification (UQ) in complex system of systems (SoS) modeling and simulation (M&S) environments . Proceedings of the 24th International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) International Symposium , Las Vegas, NV, USA (30 June–3 July 2014).

  18. Marvin , J.W. , Schmitz , J.T. , and Reed , R.A. ( 2016 ). Modeling-simulation-analysis-looping: 21st century game changer . In: 26th INCOSE International Symposium . Edinburgh, Scotland, UK .

  19. Mindell , D.A. ( 2015 ). Our Robots, Ourselves: Robotics and the Myth of Autonomy . New York, NY : Viking Chapter 4 War.

  20. mission . ( 2023 ). Merriam-Webster.com .

  21. Moreland , J. ( 2015 ). Mission Engineering Integration and Interoperability (I&I) . Dahlgren, VA (US) : Leading Edge, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division , January.

  22. Moreland , J.D. Jr. ( 2009 ). Structuring a flexible, affordable naval force to meet strategic demand in the 21st century . Naval Engineers Journal ( 1 ): 35 – 51 .

  23. Moreland , J.D. Jr. ( 2014 ). Experimental research and future approach on evaluating service-oriented architecture (SOA) challenges in a hard real-time combat system environment . Systems Engineering 17 ( 1 ): 52 – 61 .

  24. NASA ( 2017 ). Mission Engineering and Systems Analysis Division (MESA) . Greenbelt, MD (US)

  25. Neaga , E.I. , Hensaw , M.J. , and Yue , Y. ( 2009 ). The Influence of the Concept of Capability-Based Management on the Development of the Systems Engineering Discipline . In: Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference on Systems Engineering Research . (April 20–23), Loughborough University , Loughborough, England, UK .

  26. Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology, Systems and Software Engineering ( 2008 ). Systems Engineering Guide for Systems of Systems , Version 1.0. Washington, DC (US) : ODUSD(A&T)SSE .

  27. Ondrus , P. and Fatig , M. ( 1993 ). Mission Engineering . Greenbelt, MD : NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  28. Parnell , G. , Miller , W.D. , Michealson , K. et al. ( 2016 ). Industry support to mission analysis and mission engineering . Prodceedings of the MORS Affordability Conference 2016 .

  29. Paul , R. , and Elder , L. ( 2008 ). Critical thinking: The nuts and bolts of education . Optometric Education 33 : 88 – 91 .

  30. Powers , B. ( 2014 ). Normalizing digital close air support (DCAS): needs, challenges, and the role of unmanned systems . In: United States Joint Forces Command, presented at the Western UAS Conference , 11 September. San Diego, CA (US) .

  31. Rebovich , G. Jr. ( 2014 ). Systems Engineering Guide . Bedford, MA (US) and McLean, VA (US) : MITRE .

  32. Richards , M.G. , Ross , A.M. , Hastings , D.E. , and Rhodes , D.H. ( 2009 ). Multi-attribute tradespace exploration for survivability . In: 7th Annual Conference on Systems Engineering Research , Loughborough, England, UK (April 20–23). Loughborough University .

  33. Snowden , D.J. and Bone , M.E. ( 2007 ). A leader's framework for decision making . Harvard Business Review 85 ( 11 ): 68 – 76 .

  34. Spaulding , C.R. , Gibson , W.S. , Schreurs , S.F. et al. ( 2011 ). Systems engineering for complex information systems in a federated, rapid development environment . Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest 29 ( 4 ): 310 – 326 .

  35. Verma , D. , Collopy , P. , and Pallas , S. ( 2018 ). Pathfinder Project Systems Engineering Research Needs and Workforce Development Assessment , Technical Report SERC-2018-TR-102 , 31 January. Hoboken, NJ (US) : Stevens Institute of Technology, Systems Engineering Research Center .

  36. Vesonder , G. , Verma , D. , Hutchison , N. et al. ( 2018 ). Mission Engineering Competencies . Hoboken, NJ : Stevens Institute of Technology, Systems Engineering Research Center .

SERC Logo

The Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) was established in the Fall of 2008 as a government-designated University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). The SERC has produced 15 years of research, focused on an updated systems engineering toolkit (methods, tools, and practices) for the complex cyber-physical systems of today and tomorrow.


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