OPM System Development Life Cycle Policy and Standards 
                                                                  Table of Contents 
                   1.          INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................... 4 
                     1.1      Purpose............................................................................................................................ 4 
                     1.1.1   OPM SDLC Policy ......................................................................................................... 4 
                     1.1.2    Key Concepts and Principles ........................................................................................ 4 
                     1.2      Scope and Applicability ................................................................................................. 5 
                     1.3      Compliance, Enforcement and Exceptions .................................................................. 6 
                   2.          ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND GOVERNANCE ........................................... 7 
                   3.          PROJECT INITIATION............................................................................................ 16 
                     3.1      Need Identified ............................................................................................................. 16 
                     3.2      Executive Sponsor, Business Program Manager, Business Project Manager adopts 
                              the need ......................................................................................................................... 16 
                     3.3      Executive Sponsorship Approval ............................................................................... 17 
                     3.4      Initiate the OPM SDLC ............................................................................................... 17 
                     3.5      Critical Prerequisites to Investment Success ............................................................. 17 
                   4.          OPM SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE (SDLC) .................................... 19 
                     4.1      Introduction .................................................................................................................. 19 
                     4.2      SDLC Phases ................................................................................................................. 20 
                     4.2.1  Overview .......................................................................................................................... 20 
                     4.2.2  Determine System Needs Phase....................................................................................... 20 
                     4.2.3  Define System Requirements Phase ................................................................................ 21 
                     4.2.4  Design System Components Phase .................................................................................. 22 
                     4.2.5  Build System Components Phase .................................................................................... 23 
                     4.2.6  Evaluate System Readiness Phase ................................................................................... 24 
                     4.2.7  Deploy the System Phase ................................................................................................. 25 
                     4.2.8  Decommission the System Phase..................................................................................... 26 
                   5.          METHODOLOGIES .................................................................................................. 26 
                     5.1      Waterfall ....................................................................................................................... 27 
                     5.1.1  Overview .......................................................................................................................... 27 
                     5.1.2  Strengths .......................................................................................................................... 27 
                     5.1.3  Weaknesses ...................................................................................................................... 27 
                     5.2      Incremental ................................................................................................................... 27 
                     5.2.1  Overview .......................................................................................................................... 27 
                     5.2.2  Strengths .......................................................................................................................... 28 
                     5.2.3  Weaknesses ...................................................................................................................... 28 
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                                   OPM System Development Life Cycle Policy and Standards 
                   5.3      Agile (Scrum) ............................................................................................................... 28 
                   5.3.1   Overview ......................................................................................................................... 28 
                   5.3.2   Strengths: ........................................................................................................................ 31 
                   5.3.3   Weaknesses: .................................................................................................................... 31 
                 6.        PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK ........................................................ 31 
                 7.        CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK ........................................ 34 
                 8.        QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK .............................................................. 36 
                 9.        RECORDS MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK ....................................................... 37 
                 APPENDIX A:  ACRONYMS ................................................................................................... 43 
                 APPENDIX B:  GLOSSARY ..................................................................................................... 46 
                 APPENDIX C:  REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 55 
                 APPENDIX D : OPM SDLC PHASE ACTIVITIES ............................................................... 57 
                   Appendix D.1: Determine System Needs Phase Activities ....................................................... 57 
                   Appendix D.2 : Define System Requirements Phase Activities ................................................ 67 
                   Appendix D.3: Design System Components Phase Activities ................................................... 79 
                   Appendix D.4: Build System Components Phase Activities ..................................................... 87 
                   Appendix D.5: Evaluate System Readiness Phase Activities .................................................... 98 
                   Appendix D.6 : Deploy the System Phase Activities .............................................................. 106 
                   Appendix D.7:  Decommission the System Phase ................................................................... 113 
                 APPENDIX E: PROJECT CATEGORIES AND PROJECT DOCUMENTATION LEVEL ....... 115 
                   Appendix E.2.1: Project Documentation Level 1 .................................................................... 118 
                   Appendix E.2.2: Project Documentation Level 2 .................................................................... 118 
                   Appendix E.2.3: Project Documentation Level 3 .................................................................... 119 
                   Appendix E.2.4: Project Documentation Level 4 .................................................................... 121 
                   Appendix E.2.5: Project Documentation Level 5 .................................................................... 122 
                 APPENDIX F:  SCRUM PROCESS DETAILS .................................................................... 124 
                   Appendix F.1 Determine Systems Needs / Idea Proposed ...................................................... 125 
                   Appendix F.2  Develop and Prioritize Product Backlog.......................................................... 125 
                   Appendix F.3  Sprint Planning Meeting Process ..................................................................... 126 
                   Appendix F.4  Daily Scrum Process ........................................................................................ 126 
                   Appendix F.5 Sprint Functionality Review Process ................................................................ 126 
                   Appendix F.6  Monthly Business-related Performance Metric Reviews ................................ 127 
                                                                      
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                           OPM System Development Life Cycle Policy and Standards 
                                             Revision History 
             Version Number     Version Date         Revision Summary 
             1.0                June 2012            Official first OPM version of this document 
             1.1                April 2013           Address OPM’s Office of Inspector General 
                                                     audit recommendations especially the one 
                                                     regarding “We recommend that the OCIO 
                                                     establish an SDLC review process in which the 
                                                     OCIO must review and formally approve 
                                                     SDLC work at various milestones for all OPM 
                                                     system implementation projects.” as well as 
                                                     others. 
                                                      
              
              
                                            Executive Summary  
             The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Federal Chief Information Officer and the 
             Congress have set ever higher standards for the management and performance of information 
             technology investments within the Federal government. Those standards require IT programs and 
             projects  to  achieve  consistently  successful  outcomes  that  maximize  alignment  with  business 
             objectives and meet key cost, schedule and performance objectives. 
              
             A key to successful IT management is a solid program and project management methodology 
             that incorporates best government and commercial practices through a consistent and repeatable 
             process, and provides a standard structure for planning, managing and overseeing IT programs 
             and projects over their entire life cycle.  Industry and government experience demonstrates that 
             the quality of IT investments is directly proportional to the quality of the management processes 
             used to acquire and operate the IT products those investments produce.  This document is the 
             U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) policy 
             and standards guidance. 
              
             The OPM SDLC applies to all OPM and contractor personnel who are developing systems, 
             acquiring  systems,  managing  new  systems,  and  making  modifications  or  enhancement  of 
             existing  systems.  System  developers,  users,  and  all  level  of  OPM  management  across  all 
             functional areas must adhere to the OPM SDLC or equivalent SDLC processes.  The OPM 
             SDLC is crucial to delivering cost effective information systems for OPM.   
              
              
             The version of this document that is posted to the Web is the official, authoritative version 
             and supersedes the Information Technology Systems Manager (ITSM) SDLC policy and 
             standards found in THEO. 
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