Veterans Benefits Modernization: VBA Has Begun to Address Software Development Weaknesses But Work Remains

VBA agreed with the recommendation and developed an action plan in 1997 for reaching the repeatable level. However, since then, due to budget issues and changes in IT priorities, progress has been slower than anticipated. VBA continues to work on addressing software development deficiencies in the six level 2 key process areas. For example, it is developing new policies and procedures for three of the six areas--software engineering, configuration management, and requirements management. However, VBA has not established a date for when it might reach the repeatable level.

VBA agreed with the recommendation and initiated a project to develop a baseline showing its software development capability. This effort utilized GAO's report on VBA's software development capability, VBA's Software Practices Roundup review, and contractor reports. The baseline report was subsequently completed in 1999.

VBA agreed with the recommendation and has developed training material for the key process areas necessary to reach the repeatable level. Courses in Contract Management and Project Management are available, courses in Configuration Management are under development, and others are planned.

VBA agreed with the recommendation and has developed standard language for all of its statements of work requiring all contractors to document their CMM level 2 status. VBA recently strengthened its CMM level statement to require contractors to already be at a CMM level 2 and to be certified by an outside source as CMM level 2. In addition, a source selection process is now in place which includes the CMM level 2 requirements as part of the evaluation criteria used by VBA proposal evaluation teams to rank contractor proposals.