Provide an executive summary to tell the reader what they will learn from reading the document.
Define a system to be developed or acquired:
Name the system (e.g., wireless broadband service to rural areas; new aircraft; replacement C2 system; new, paid parking system for Fort Meade; new car; new computer system for school; solar panel system for home, etc.)
.Define mission addressed by system
.Define a (high level) user Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for the system under consideration
.Define major active and passive system stakeholders and why they are stakeholders
.Define major uncertainties/assumptions (e.g., mission, technology)
.Develop a means objective network and a fundamental objectives hierarchy for the system (or concept) selection.
.Generate at least 3 different alternative systems (or concepts). Explain the technique that you used to generate these alternatives.  Provide technical data for each alternative that will be used in conjunction with the utility tables to score the alternatives against each of the criteria.
.Conduct an engineering trade study analysis and choose a concept that best meets your criteria. Describe the methodology you used to conduct the analysis and how you conducted sensitivity analysis.  Remember, the write up should explain to the reader everything that was done in the study.  Many times information is inadvertently left out, because the author knows the thought process being used.  Write a trade study for the reader and do not assume that the reader has the same knowledge that the author possesses.
.Be sure to explain how the criteria were selected.  Relate back to the objectives using the narrative.  Explain what the criteria are and why they are important.
.Be sure to show all of the analysis steps in your trade study.  You must do a pair-wise comparison of the criteria in order to determine their relative weights. Be sure to include the table used, provide a legend explaining the numbers, and explain the process for the reader.   If you have some “must have” criteria, explain why these were selected as “must have” criteria.  
.Be sure to explain the scoring scale used to evaluate the alternatives.  Did you use a 0-5 or a 0-10 range.  Develop utility tables or curves for each of the need type criteria showing what a criterion must possess to earn a 1, or a 2 or a 3, etc.
.Show the final weighted scoring in a table that clearly allows the reader to understand how the scoring was performed.  Provide an accompanying narrative explaining the results of the scoring.
.Be sure to explain what the final decision is and how you arrived at this decision.
.Be sure to include a sensitivity analysis.
.Discuss the overall risks associated with the decision and create a Risk/Opportunity Log for the top system risks.

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