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Glossary
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The glossary section is structured in an “easy-to-find” A to Z construct with each section offering both commonly used acronyms and definitions. The definition of terms used were obtained from various sources which are cited after each definition.
Source Documents:
- [BSI], The Balanced Scorecard Institute; www.balancedscorecard.org
- [FEA-PMO], The Federal Enterprise Architecture Program Management Office, www.feapmo.gov
- [GAO], General Accounting Office; www.gao.gov
- [GPRA], Public Law 103-62. Government Performance and Results Act of 1993
- [Harbour], The Basics of Performance Measurement, Harbour, Jerry, Ph.D. 1997
- [Hammer], The Agenda, Hammer, Michael. 2001
- [MID 901], Establishing Performance Outcomes and Tracking Performance. Results for the Department of Defense. 20 Dec 2002
- [Niven], Balanced Scorecard Step-By-Step for Government and Nonprofit
Agencies, Niven, Paul R. 2003
- [OMB], Office of Management and Budget; www.whitehouse.gov/omb
- [SecArmy], Secretary of the Army; Establishment of the Army Enterprise Integration Oversight Office (AEIOO), 16 April 2003
- [OSD USD (AT&L)], Investment Review Board Process Overview and Concept of Operations for Investment Review Boards, 2 Jun 05
- [WD] Webmaster Definition
- [Davenport] Putting the Enterprise into the Enterprise System, Davenport, Thomas H, 1998.
A
Acronyms
- ACP: Army Campaign Plan
- ACQ: Acquisition Domain
- ADM: Acquisition Decision Memorandum
- ADR: Annual Defense Review
- AEA: Army Enterprise Architecture
- APS: Advanced Planning and Scheduling
- ASA (ALT): Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology)
- ASA (FM&C): Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller)
- APGM: Army Programming Guidance Memorandum
- APPG: Army Planning Priorities Guidance
- ASPG: Army Strategic Planning Guidance
Definitions
- ACAT IA: Programs which are major Automated Information Systems (MAIS) or programs designated by ASD (NII) to be ACAT 1A. The Milestone Decision Authority is the DoD CIO. [USD AT&L]
- ACAT 1AM: A sub-category of ACAT 1A and is a program for which the Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) is the DoD CIO. [USD (AT&L)]
- Active Data Objects (ADO): This is a Microsoft database interface that is the Microsoft standard for data access. ADO is a set of Component Object Model (COM) objects that provides an interface to OLE DB. The three primary objects are Connection, Command and Recordset.
- Active Data Objects .Net (ADO.Net): This is a data-access component of Microsoft’s .NET framework. It has an extensive set of classes to facilitate data access from a large variety of sources.
- Activity Measures: These measures typically track the actions or behaviors an organization performs using its inputs of staff time and financial resources. [Niven].
- Activity Based Costing: An accounting system that assigns costs to products based on resources they consume. [WD]
- Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS): Refers to a manufacturing management process by which raw materials and production capacity are optimally allocated to meet demand. APS is especially well-suited to environments where simpler planning methods can not adequately address complex trade-off's between competing priorities.
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B
Acronyms
- BEA: Business Enterprise Architecture
- BEP: Business Enterprise Priority
- BMA: Business Mission Area
- BMMP: Business Management Modernization Program
- BPI (also Business Process Improvement): Budget and Performance Integration
- BT: Business Transformation
- BTA: Business Transformation Agency (formally BMMP)
Definitions
- Balanced Scorecard: A measurement-based strategic management system, originated by Robert Kaplan and David Norton, which provides a method of aligning business activities to the strategy, and monitoring performance of strategic goals over time. There are four linked perspectives in the framework: Customer, Internal Processes, Learning and Growth and Financial. The Balanced Scorecard acts as a strategic management system, a measurement system and a communication tool. [BSI]
- Baseline Performance: The current level at which an organization, process, or function is performing. A company currently producing 25 units per week has a current baseline performance of 25 units per week. [Harbour]
- Benchmarking: The comparison of similar processes across organizations and industries to identify best practices, set improvement targets, and measure progress. Benchmarking results can serve as potential targets for measures. [Niven] The process of comparing one set of measurements to another. [BSI]
- Business capability: The ability to execute a specific course of action. It can be a single business enabler or a combination of business enablers (e.g., business processes, policies, people, tools or systems, information) that assists an organization in delivering value to its customer. [USD (AT&L)]
- Business case: A structured proposal for business improvement that functions as a decision package for organizational decision-makers. A business case includes an analysis of business process performance and associated needs or problems, proposed alternative solutions, assumptions, constraints, and a risk-adjusted cost-benefit analysis. [GAO]
- Business Enterprise Architecture: The Business Enterprise Architecture (BEA) is a blueprint to guide and constrain investments in DoD organizations, operations, and systems as they related or impact business operations. It will provide the basis for the planning, development, and implementation of business management systems that comply with Federal mandates and requirements, and will produce accurate, timely and compliant information for DoD staff. PSA’s will define the level of specificity for their Core Business Mission (CBM) areas. In some cases, the BEA will include separately maintained CMB-specific architecture and requirements. [USD(AT&L)]
- Business Mission Area: A defined area of responsibility with function and processes that contribute to mission accomplishment. [USD (AT&L)]
- Business Process: A specific ordering of work activities across time and place, with a beginning, an end, and clearly identified inputs [people, technology, fixed assets, and funds] and outputs. [Putting the Enterprise into the Enterprise System, Thomas H. Davenport, 1998]. A true business process starts with the first event that initiates a course of action. The process isn’t complete until the last aspect of the final outcome is satisfied from the point of view of the stakeholder of the first event that triggered it.
- Business Process Improvement: A methodology for focused change in a business process achieved by analyzing the AS-IS process using process models, IDEF, and other tools, then developing a streamlined TO-BE process in which automation may be added to result in a process that is better, faster, and cheaper. BPI aims at cost reductions of 10-40%, with moderate risk. [BSI]
- Business Process Reengineering: A methodology for radical, rapid change in business processes achieved by redesigning the process from scratch and then adding automation. Aimed at cost reductions of 70% or more when starting with antiquated processes, but with a significant risk of lower results. [BSI]
- Business Process Owner (BPO): The individual designated to formulate and champion recommendations to change, preserve, or eliminate a business process with defined scope and an associated enterprise process or enterprise processes.
- Business Reference Model: A function-driven framework for describing the business operations of the Federal Government independent of the agencies that performs them. The Business Reference Model is one of the Federal Enterprise Architecture reference models. [FEA-PMO]
- Business System: A information system, other than a national security system, operated by, for, or on behalf of the DoD, including financial systems, mixed systems, financial data feeder systems, and information technology and information assurance infrastructure, used to support business activities, such as acquisition, financial management, logistics, strategic planning and budgeting, installations and environments, and human resource management (10 U.S.C. 2222 (j) (2)). In addition, the DODD 8500.1 defines a system as a “set of information resources organized for the collection, storage, processing, maintenance, use, sharing , dissemination, disposition, display, or transmission of information”. [USD (AT&L)]
- Business Transformation initiative: A coordinated set of activities and resources employed to contribute to the Army goal of streamlining or eliminating redundant operations to free financial and human resources to redirect to the core warfighting mission.
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C
Acronyms
- CA: Certification Authority
- CCA: Clinger-Cohen Act
- CJCS: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- CM: Change Management
- COTS: Commercial off-the-shelf
- CPI: Continuous Process Improvement
- CRM: Customer Relationship Management
- CTQ: Critical-to-Quality
Definitions
- Capability: An allocation of enterprise processes (a combination of people, process, and technology) that enable the Army to achieve a mission or task.
- Certification Authority: CAs support the IRB Process by approving and presenting investments to the DBSMC with recommendations for system investment certification.
- Change Management: Manages the people-aspect of change to build and sustain commitment to the Army's Business Transformation by synchronizing activities around communication, education, leader accountability, stakeholder involvement, and performance management to build commitment of stakeholders/shareholders.
- Communications: One the inter-related activities identified in the transformation guide that support a transformation program. The purpose of this activity is to establish a communication strategy, approach, and plan to deliver timely, relevant, and clear program information.
- Continuous Process Improvement: Continuous Process Improvement is a strategic approach for developing a culture of continuous improvement in the areas of reliability, process cycle times, costs in terms of less total resource consumption, quality, and productivity. [DoD]
- Core Business Mission: A defined area of responsibility with functions and processes that contribute to mission accomplishment. [USD (AT&L)]
- Core System: An existing system, a system in development, or a system beginning the acquisition process that is / will become the Department’s solution for a given capability(ies), as designated by the PSA. [USD(AT&L)]
- Cost-benefit analysis: A technique used to compare the various costs associated with an investment with the benefits that it proposes to return. Both quantifiable and non-quantifiable factors should be addressed and accounted for. [GAO]
- Customers: In the private sector, customers are defined as those who pay for products or services. In the government, customers consist of (a) the taxpayers; (b) taxpayer representatives in Congress; (c) the sponsors of the agency; (d) the managers of an agency program; (e) the recipients of the agency's products and services. There may be several more categories of 'customers'; they should be carefully identified for maximum strategic benefit. [BSI]
- Customer Perspective: The Customer perspective is one of the four Balanced Scorecard perspectives, determining whom it aims to serve and how their requirements can best be met. This perspective answers the question, “How do we create value for our customer?” [BSI]
- Customer Relationship Management: An information industry team methodolgies, software, and usually Internet capabilities that help an enterprise manage customer relationships in an organized way. [WD]
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D
Acronyms
- DA: Department of the Army
- DAB: Defense Acquisition Board
- DBSMC: Defense Business Systems Management Committee
- DepSecDef: Deputy Secretary of Defense
- DIMA: Defense Intelligence Mission Area
- DISR: Defense Information Technology Standards Registry
- DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
- DME: Development, Modernization, or Enhancement – an IT initiative funding category
- DoD: Department of Defense
- DUSA (BT): Deputy Under Secretary of the Army for Business Transformation
Definitions
- DA Enterprise-Level Initiative: An Army BT initiative that is at the HQDA level, spans one or more organizational entities (Army Commands, ASCCs, or DRUs), and/or impacts an enterprise process.
- Defense Business Systems Management Committee: The DBSMC recommends policies and procedures required to integrate DoD business transformation and attain cross-Department, end-to-end interoperability of business systems and processes.
- Design For Six Sigma (DFSS): Approach to design a new product using Six Sigma quality processes.
- Discovery: Ability to look up the services available to Consumers.
- DoD and Information Technology (DoD/IT) Acronyms
- DoD Enterprise Systems: Systems that have been identified to become the standard across the DoD. [USD (AT&L)]
- Data Reference Model: The Data Reference Model (DRM) describes, at an aggregate level, the data and information that support government program and business line operations. This model enables agencies to describe the types of interaction and exchanges that occur between the Federal Government and citizens. [FEA-PMO]
- Diagnostic Performance Measures: This type of measure assists in identifying problem areas. Examples include trending or control performance measures such as cycle time. The output from this type of measure helps diagnose and specifically target the activity that is causing the problem. [Harbour]
- DMAIC: An acronym for the five phases of a Six Sigma project: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. The most common application of the Six Sigma methodology employed when an existing process needs to be improved. [Six Sigma Institute]
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E
Acronyms
- EAI: Enterprise Applications Integration
- EIE: Enterprise Information Environment
- EIEMA: Enterprise Information Environment Mission Area
- EPP: Enhanced Planning Process
- ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning
- ESA: Enterprise Software Agreement
- ESC: Executive Steering Committee
- ESI: Enterprise Software Initiative
- ETP: Enterprise Transition Plan
Definitions
- Effectiveness Measures: The degree to which an activity or initiative is successful in achieving a specified goal and/or the degree to which activities of a unit achieve the unit’s mission or goal. [BSI]
- Efficiency Measures: These measures evaluate the cost of each unit of service delivered. [Niven] The degree of capability or productivity of a process, such as the number of cases closed per year; (b) tasks accomplished per unit cost. [BSI]
- Enterprise Architecture: Enterprise Architecture (EA), is the discipline of creating a blueprint of an agency’s business, data, applications, and technology. [FEA-PMO]
- Enterprise Integration: Enterprise Integration is vertical and horizontal alignment of plans, business processes, and information systems across organizations and functional boundaries to provide competitive advantage. [SecArmy]
- Enterprise Process: The end-to-end, cross-departmental, and often, cross coordination of work activities that create and deliver ultimate value to customers. [Hammer]
- Enterprise Process Owner (EPO): The individual designated to make key decisions to change enterprise processes with defined scope and supporting business processes.
- Enterprise Risk Assessment Methodology (ERAM): The Enterprise Risk Assessment Methodology (ERAM) aids the business Major Automated Information Systems (MAIS) to deliver business capabilities rapidly, at a reduced cost, by identifying program vulnerabilities and providing mitigation solutions. This initiative is designed as a risk assessment review for the Major Automated Information Systems, in the Business Mission Area.
- Enterprise Solution: Processes, personnel, and any associated IT applications that in combination provide the capability to conduct an Army enterprise process. An enterprise solution provides situation awareness to facilitate improved decision making through streamlines access to timely, relevant and accurate information.
- Enterprise Software Agreement: Blanket Purchase Agreement negotiated by the Enterprise Software Initiative with a software vendor.
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F
Acronyms
- FCB: Future Capabilities Board
- FYDP: Future Years Defense Plan
- FFIMA: Federal Financial Management Improvement Act
Definitions
- Federal Enterprise Architecture: The Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) is a set of inter-related reference models designed to facilitate cross-agency analysis and collaboration. [FEA-PMO]
- Federated Architecture: An approach for enterprise architecture development that is composed of a set of a coherent but distinct entity or architectures; the architectures of separate members of the federation. The members of the federation participate to produce interoperable, effectively integrated enterprise architecture. The federation sets the overarching rules of the federated architecture, defining the policies, practices, and legislation to be followed, as well as the inter-federated procedures and processes, date interchanges, and interface standards, to be observed by all members of the federation. Each federation member conforms to the enterprise view and overarching rules of the federation in developing its architecture. Internal to themselves, each focuses on their separate mission and the architecture that supports that mission. [USD (AT&L)]
- Financial Perspective: The financial perspective answers the question, “How do we add value for customers while controlling costs? [BSI]
- Force Management Risk: Force Management Risk is one of the four risk areas in the SECDEF Balanced Scorecard, with the aim of providing a trained and ready force. [MID 901]
- Future Challenges Risk: Anticipating future threats and adjusting capabilities to maintain a military advantage against them. [MID 901]
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G
Acronyms
- GAO: Government Accountability Office
- GFEBS: General Fund Enterprise Business System
- GIG: Global Information Grid
- GIG – ES: Global Information Grid – Enterprise Services
- GOTS: Government off-the-shelf
- GPRA: Government Performance Results Act
Definitions
- Global Information Grid: The globally interconnected, end-to-end set of information capabilities, associated processes, and personnel for collecting, processing, storing, disseminating, and managing information on demand to warfighters, policy makers, and support personnel. [USD (AT&L)]
- Governance: An enterprise framework of limits that define business rules and align work output units with Army strategic goals.
- Government off-the-shelf (GOTS): Is a term for software and hardware products that are typically developed by the technical staff of the government agency for which it is created. It is sometimes developed by an external entity, but with funding and specification from the agency. Because agencies can directly control all aspects of GOTS products, these are generally preferred for government purposes. GOTS software solutions can normally be shared among Federal agencies without additional cost. [WIKIPEDIA]
- Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA): Signed into law in 1993, the GPRA requires federally funded agencies to develop and implement an accountability system based on performance measurement, including the establishment of strategic plans, performance plans and performance reports. The law emphasizes what is being accomplished, as opposed to what is being spent. [Niven]
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H
Acronyms
- HQDA: Headquarters Department of the Army
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I
Acronyms
- IT: Information Technology
- IT PfM: Information Technology Portfolio Management
- IPT: Integrated Process Teams
- IRB: Investment Review Boards
Definitions
- IDEF: Method designed to model the decisions, actions, and activities of an organization or system. [WD]
- Information Technology Portfolio: A grouping of the IT capabilities, IT systems, IT services, and IT system support services (e.g., IT required to support and maintain systems), management, and related investments required to accomplish a specific functional goal. Decisions to make, modify, or terminate IT investments shall be based on the Global Information Grid (GIG) integrated architecture, mission are goals, risk tolerance levels, potential returns, outcome goals, and performance. [USD (AT&L)]
- Initiatives: The specific programs, activities, projects, or actions an organization will undertake in an effort to meet performance targets. [Niven]
- Input Measures: These measures track resources used to drive organizational results. Typical input measures include staff time or financial resources. [Niven]
- Institutional Risk: Ensuring that the DoD financial, acquisition, and resource management processes are streamlined and efficient. [MID 901]
- Interim System: An existing system, or system in development, as designated by the PSA, that supports the Department for a given capability during a limited period of time. An interim system may have the potential to be part of the core solution. [USD(AT&L)]
- Internal/ Business Process Perspective: The Internal/Business Process perspective is one of the four balanced scorecard perspectives. This perspective refers to internal business processes. Metrics based on this perspective allows the managers to know how well their business is running and whether its products and services conform to customer requirements. In addition to the strategic management process, two kinds of business processes may be identified: a) mission-oriented processes; and b) support processes. Mission-oriented processes are the special functions of government offices and the support processes are more repetitive in nature. [BSI]
- Investment Review Board (IRB): The IRB support the IRB Process by recommending certain investments to the appropriate CA.
- IT Portfolio Management: Within the Army, Portfolio Management is a recognized term for the prioritization and selection of investments in projects based on requirements. Management of these projects is from initiation to completion. The Army uses a structured approach to making educated decisions about a collection or “portfolio” of projects, their associated investment mix, and their contribution to the organization’s business mission capabilities. The overall goal is to create a portfolio of projects that are in alignment with the organization’s strategic goals and objectives. Read more about Portfolio Management.
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J
Acronyms
- JPG: Joint Planning Guidance
- JROC: Joint Requirements Oversight Council
Definitions
- Java Database Connectivity (JDBC): JDBC gives access to a tabular data source using the Java programming language. It provides connectivity to a wide range of SQL databases and other data sources, such as spreadsheets or flat files.
- Java Specification Request (JSR) 168: JSR 168 defines a Portlet API that provides means for aggregating several content sources and applications front ends. It also addresses how the security and personalization is handled.
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K
Definitions
- Kaizen: See Rapid Improvement Event
- Key Performance Indicators: A short list of metrics that a company's managers have identified as the most important variables reflecting mission success or organizational performance. [BSI]
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L
Definitions
- Lagging Indicator: Performance measures that represent the consequences of actions previously taken are referred to as laggin indicators. They frequently focus on results at the end of a time period and characterize historical performance. An example is employee or customer satisfaction. [Niven]
- Leading Indicator: These measures are considered the “drivers” of lagging indicators. There is an assumed relationship between the two that suggests that improved performance in a leading indicator will drive better performance in the lagging indicator. For example, lowering absenteeism (a leading indicator) is hypothesized to drive improvements in employee satisfaction ( a lagging indicator). [Niven]
- Lean: Identifying ‘waste’ or ‘non-value-added activities’ from the customer perspective and then determining how to eliminate it the ‘right’ way. [Lean Six Sigma Institute]
- Lean Six Sigma: A business improvement methodology that maximized shareholder value by achieving the fastest rate of improvement in customer satisfaction, cost, quality, process, speed, and invested capital. [Lean Six Sigma Institute]
- Learning and Growth: The Learning and Growth process perspective is one of the four balanced scorecard perspectives. This perspective includes communication, employee training, and corporate culture related to individual and corporate self-improvement. This perspective also includes the respective technological tools to facilitate high performance work systems. This is a leading indicator of knowledge and training. [BSI]
- Legacy System: An existing system that is designated for closure when the capability is absorbed by an interim or core system, or if the capability is no longer required. [USD (AT&L)]
- Line of Sight: The indirect or direct cause and effect relationship from a specific IT investment to the processes it supports, and by extension the customers it serves and the mission-related outcomes it contributes to. [FEA-PMO]
- Loose Coupling: A design approach that decreases the impact of changes to services.
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M
Acronyms
- MID: Management Initiative Decision
Definitions
- Management: The supervising and directing of activities required to implement the business rules defined by the governance mechanism.
- Metric: Often used interchangeably with measurements. However, it is helpful to separate these definitions. Metrics are the various parameters orways of looking at a processthatis to be measured. Metrics define what is to be measured. Some metrics are specialized, so they can't be directly benchmarked or interpreted outside a mission-specific business unit. Other measures will be generic, and they can be aggregated across business units, e.g. cycle time, customer satisfaction, and financial results. [BSI]
- Mission Statement: A mission statement defines the core purpose of the organization – why it exists. The mission examines the raison d’etre for the organization, and reflects employee motivations for engaging in the organization’s work. Effective missions are inspiring, long-term in nature, and easily understood and communicated. [Niven]
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N
Acronyms
- FY2005 NDAA: National Defense Authorization Act of FY2005
- NPR: National Partnership for Reinventing Government
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O
Acronyms
- OCM: Organization Change Management (See CM)
- OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer
- OMD: Office of Management and Budget
- OSD: Office of the Secretary of Defense
- OSD (NII): Office of the Secretary of Defense (Networks and Information Integration)
- OV: Operational View
Definitions
- Objective: A concise statement describing the specific things the organization must do well in order to execute its strategy. [Niven]
- Object Linking and Embedding/ Database (OLE/DB): This is a low-level Application Program Interface (API) from Microsoft for accessing both relational and non-relational data. OLE/DB allows connectivity to ODBC-based SQL sources. OLE DB interfaces can provide much of the same functionality that is provided by database management systems. OLE DB evolved from the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) application programming interface.
- Open Database Connectivity (ODBC): Is Microsoft's strategic interface for accessing data in a heterogeneous environment of relational and non- relational database management systems. Based on the Call Level Interface specification of the SQL Access Group, ODBC provides an open, vendor- neutral way of accessing data stored in a variety of proprietary personal computer, minicomputer, and mainframe databases.
- Operational Risk: Ensuring U.S. military and civilian personnel are ready at all times to accomplish the range of missions assigned them in the defense strategy. [MID 901]
- Orchestration: Coordination of services to execute a “process” involving a sequence of activities. Also known as Business Process Management (BPM).
- Outcome Measures: This type of measure refers to an assessment of the results of a program activity compared to its intended purpose. These measures track the number of people served, services provided, or units produced by a program or service. For example the number of inoculations provided. [Niven]
- Output Measure: A description of the level of activity or effort that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date, including a description of the characteristics and attributes (e.g., timeliness) established as standards in the course of conducting the activity or effort. A tactical or short-term quality or efficiency indicator for a business process. [BSI]
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P
Acronyms
- PA&E: Program, Analysis and Evaluation
- PAR: Performance and Accountability Report
- PBD: Program Budget Decision
- PDM: Program Decision Memorandum
- PEG: Program Evaluation Group
- PEO- EIS: Program Executive Office – Enterprise Integration Services
- PfM: Portfolio Management
- PM: Performance Measurement
- PMC: Performance Management Coordinator
- POMC: Planning, Organizing, Motivating, and Controlling
Definitions
- Performance: Performance focuses on an actual accomplishment or produced output. An example of a performance accomplishment is processing 50 procurement requisitions in a single day. [Harbour]
- Performance Goal: This is a targeted level of accomplishment expressed as a tangible and measurable objective against which actual achievement is compared. [GPRA] For example, a performance goal may be to process, on average, 60 procurement requisitions per day. [Harbour]
- Performance Indicator: A particular value or characteristic used to measure output or outcome. [GPRA] This is a comparative performance metric used to answer the question, “How are we doing?” for a specific issue. The average number of requisitions processed per day is an example of a performance indicator. [Harbour]
- Performance Measurement: A standard used to evaluate and communicate performance against expected results. Performance measures are designed to gauge progress toward effective implementation of the organization’s strategy and track achievement of organizational objectives, which are aligned with the strategy. [BSI]
- Performance Measurement Process: A performance measurement process involves the collection, synthesis, analysis and reporting of the accomplishments or outputs, as well as performance indicators that affect work output and accomplishments. [Harbour]
- Performance Reference Model: The Performance Reference Model (PRM) is a standardized framework to measure the performance of major IT investments and their contribution to program performance. The PRM is intended to help produce enhanced information to improve daily and strategic decision-making, improve alignment and articulate contributions and facilitate the identification of improvement opportunities. [FEA-PMO]
- Portfolio: A collection of investments that aims to maximize value while constraining risk.
- Portfolio Management: The management of a selected grouping of IT investments using integrated strategic planning, integrated architectures, measures of performance, risk management techniques, transition plans, and portfolio investment strategies. The core activities associated with portfolio management are analysis, selection, control, and evaluation. [USD(AT&L)].
- President’s Management Agenda: The President’s Management Agenda (PMA) is a strategy for improving the management and performance of the government. The PMA outlines five inter-related initiatives to focus the improvement effort.
- Process Modeling: Automated simulation of the processes that capture, manipulate, store, and distribute data between a system and its environment and among components within a system. [WB]
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Q
Acronyms
- QDR: Quadrennial Defense Review
Definitions
- Quadrennial Defense Review: The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) outlines the DoD’s strategy, goals and objectives. Additionally, the report defined a risk framework which is the basis for the DoD’s annual performance goals under the GPRA and addresses implementation of the PMA.
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R
Acronyms
Definitions
- Rapid Improvement Event: the accelerated application of the DMAIC-methodology executed by a cross-functional team focused on improving a process or solving a problem identified within a specific area. This team may be facilitated by a MBB, BB, or GB.
- Risk Management: Risk management is the act or practice of dealing with risk. It includes planning for risk, assessing (identifying and analyzing) risk areas, developing risk-handling options, monitoring risks to determine how risks have changed, and documenting the overall risk management program. (Source: Risk Management Guide for DoD Acquisition, Fifth Edition (Version 2.0), June 2003)
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S
Acronyms
- SA: Situational Awareness
- SECARMY: Secretary of the Army
- SECDEF: Secretary of Defense
- SI: System Integrator
- SLRG: Senior Leader Review Group
- SOA: Service-Oriented Architecture
- SPG: Strategic Planning Guidance
- SRS: Strategic Readiness System
- SV: Systems View
Definitions
- Service: A function (business process) that is well-defined, self-contained and doesn’t depend on the context or state of other services.
- Service Consumer: Uses one or more published Provider services.
- Service Interface ("Contract"): The predefined agreement between a Consumer and Provider which provides interoperability between services.
- Service Provider: Makes available a set of capabilities through a defined service contract for use by consumers.
- Service Oriented Architecture: Is a software design approach in which a client application requests one or more services from another application that provides similar or complementary services. The design allows internal and external business processes to be combined and recombined to support flexibility in business process execution.
- Service Reference Model: The Service Component Reference Model (SRM) is a business and performance-driven, functional framework that classifies Service Components with respect to how they support business and/or performance objectives. [FEA-PMO]
- Situational Awareness: The ability to generate actionable knowledge through the use of timely and accurate information about the Army enterprise, its processes, and external factors.
- Six Sigma: Refers to the reduction of errors to six standard deviations from the mean value of a process output or task opportunities, ie about 1 error in 300,000 opportunities. In modern practice, this terminology has been applied to a quality improvement methodology for industry. [Six Sigma Institute].
- Stakeholder: An individual or group who will be impacted in some way by a change. They have in interest (positive or negative) in how a project, initiative, or transformation will resolve itself.
- Strategy: Represents the broad priorities adopted by an organization in recognition of its operating environment and in pursuit of its mission. All performance measures should align with the organization’s strategy. [Niven]
- Strategy Map: A 2-dimensional visual tool for designing strategies and identifying strategic goals. It usually shows the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard in four layers, with learning & growth at the bottom, followed by business processes, customer satisfaction, and financial results (or mission value in the case of nonprofits). Activities to achieve strategic goals are mapped as 'bubbles' linked by cause-effect arrows that are assumed to occur. Sometimes called "strategic map". [BSI]
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T
Definitions
- Target: A quantitative measurement of a performance metric that is to be achieved by a given time. Both the metric and the schedule need to be specified for targets. A stretch target is the same thing, but its quantitative value is much higher, demanding breakthrough performance to achieve. [BSI] Targets make the results (metrics) derived from the measurement process more meaningful and provide the organization feedback regarding performance. [Niven]
- Technical Reference Model: The Technical Reference Model (TRM) is a component-driven, technical framework used to identify the standards, specifications, and technologies that support the construction, delivery, and exchange of business an application components (Service Components) that may be used and leveraged in a Component-Based or Service-Orientated Architecture. [FEA-PMO]
- Total Quality Management: A methodology for continuous monitoring and incremental improvement of a supply-line process by identifying causes of variation and reducing them. Originated by Deming in the 1950’s, and widely applied in the Federal government, where it was sometimes called Total Quality Leadership (TQL). [WB]
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U
Definitions
- Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI): UDDI is used for publishing and discovery of web services. UDDI provides a searchable registry of XML Web Services and their associated URLs and WSDL pages.
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V
Acronyms
- VCSA: Vice Chief of Staff, Army
Definitions
- Vision: A vision statement provides everyone in the organization with a shared mental framework to communicate the future direction of the organization. [Niven]
- Voice of the Customer (VOC): Term used to describe the stated and unstated needs or requirements of the customer. The “voice of the customer” can be captured in a variety of ways: Direct discussion or interviews, surveys, focus groups, customer specifications, observation, warranty data, field reports, complaint logs, etc.
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W
Acronyms
- WMA: Warfighter Mission Area
Definitions
- Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDav): The Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning protocol improves the efficiency of common remote editing operations, provide a locking mechanism to prevent overwrite conflicts, improve link management support between non-HTML data types, provide a simple attribute-value metadata facility, provide for the creation and reading of container data types, and integrate versioning into the www. This standard is still evolving.
- Web Services: The technical standards that enable communication between services in an SOA, which in turn combine to enable an end-to-end business process.
- Web Services Business Process Excecution Language (WSBPEL): WSBPEL provides a language for the formal specification of business processes and business interaction protocols.
- Web Services Description Language (WSDL): WSDL is a XML based interface description language to describe XML Web Services and how to use them. WSDL describes the syntax and location of web services. WSDL definitions are “semantic-free”; the operations of web services are defined in terms of sequences of messages to be exchanged and with whom.
- Web Services for Remote Portals (WSRP): WSRP is a specification which defines how to leverage SOAP-based Web services that generate mark-up fragments within a portal application.
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