Capability Development Document

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A Capability Development Document (CDD) provides operational performance attributes, including supportability, for those responsible for the acquisition of military equipment in the military of the United States . It includes "key performance parameters" (KPPs) and other parameters that guide the development, demonstration, and testing of the current increment. It also outlines the overall strategy for developing full capability. The format for the CDD is spelled out in the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Manual (CJCSM) 3170.01.

The description of system capabilities in a CDD follows the identification of operational needs in an Initial Capabilities Document (ICD). As the system described goes through its design and development phases, and is approved for production, the CDD is followed by a Capabilities Production Document. This is fundamentally the same document, but describes the system as it will be built, not just as it is planned.

[edit] Contents

In the words of CJCSM 3170.01, the CDD is "the sponsor’s primary means of defining authoritative, measurable, and testable capabilities needed by the warfighters to support the SDD [System Design and Definition] phase of an acquisition program."^[1]

The prescribed format of the CDD is:

Capability Discussion: Describes in general language what the system is supposed to do, and cites the relevant ICDs. Discusses the operating environment, and specifically the systems intended role (if any) in a "system of systems" or "family of systems".
Analysis Summary: A discussion of the objectives for the system, as well as alternative approaches considered.
Concept of Operations Summary: Describes how the system is intended to be used; may contain wording from the system's actual Concept of Operations.
Threat Summary: Summarizes any projected threats to the system, including the nature, tactics, capabilities, etc. of the threat.
Program Summary: Describes the system acquisition strategy and the relationship of the system to precursor or follow-on systems.
System Capabilities: The bulk of the CDD. Lists each required system attribute in an objective, measurable, testable way. Lists both "Threshold" (i.e., required) and "Objective" (i.e., desired) performance values. Summarizes key performance parameters (KPPs).