Specifying Milestones for Software Acquisitions

The establishment of project milestones for assessing progress is good management practice. Several government software management systems are available for assisting in the selection of the appropriate milestones and in specifying these milestones in the contract. A comparison of these systems shows they are, similar; but there are significant differences that need to be understood so that the particular system chosen is used appropriately, The available systems are in need of modernization and each is deficient in some way, These limitations require that, for most projects, the user amplify, augment or tailor the fundamental precepts of the plan utilized. Special project considerations usually require additional tailoring, beyond that required for modernization.