Publication Date: February 2022

The Systems Engineering Guidebook provides guidance and recommended best practices for defense acquisition programs. Much of this information appeared previously in the Defense Acquisition Guidebook (DAG) Chapter 3, Systems Engineering. The DAG has been canceled, and this document is intended to provide interim systems engineering (SE) guidance while the Department of Defense (DoD) is developing new Systems Engineering Modernization policy and guidance. The DoD Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), Deputy Director for Engineering, prepared this guidebook in cooperation with subject matter experts (SMEs) from the Military Services, Defense Agencies, industry, and academia.

This guidebook is intended for Program Managers (PMs) and Systems Engineers and may be tailored for programs in any of the DoD Adaptive Acquisition Framework pathways (DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5000.02). Programs can use the guidebook, along with other acquisition business resources, to plan and execute program SE activities across the system life cycle. The forthcoming Engineering of Defense Systems Guidebook will provide additional guidance on applying SE and other engineering disciplines to each of the acquisition pathways.

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