If an agency is going to do an investment, OMB requires that it go through a discovery process to identify the distinct solution, and make sure the solution is not already available in another agency or department. FEAF 2 standardizes the process for establishing the need, gathering investigative data, building the report that must be created, and establishing the executive review of what the needs are at each federated level.
Each of the US Government’s 300+ agencies are expected to do an investigation on their own and come up with a report, showing what their needs are, what the gaps are, what possible other agencies are that can fulfill those needs, and how they stand as far as fulfilling those needs. Comprehensive data collection is needed to review why an agency is going to build or invest in something, what other agency might already have it, and what stage that other agency is at in using it.
In short, the CPM is as shown below:
Organize and Plan
1 Identify and Validate
2 Research and Leverage
3 Define and Plan
Implement and Measure
1 Invest and Execute
2 Perform and Measure
System Architect’s FEAF 2 supports the first three stages of the Collaborative Planning Method:
•defining and planning an investment that aligns with a particular government goal (see CPM Line of Sight), and specifying if another agency can fulfill the need, and what stage they are at in fulfilling those needs.
