The Commercialization Pilot Program (CPP) is a congressionally mandated program with an objective to accelerate the transition of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) technologies, products, and services developed under SBIR to Phase III and transition into a Defense weapon system via the acquisition process. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) selected Dawnbreaker to provide Program and Technology Transition Management Support to the NAVAIR SBIR Program Office to implement a CPP which assists the NAVAIR Program Executive Officers (PEOs) and NAVAIR Acquisition Program Management Offices (PMAs) in identifying SBIR topics that meet the needs of the war-fighter, have the potential for rapid transition and to execute their transition from Phase II to Phase III and insertion into a Program of Record.
Dawnbreaker provides the NAVAIR SBIR Program office with a full range of on-site program management support which includes:
Sound, disciplined management of the transition process is the key to successfully transitioning an SBIR technology into a Naval Weapons System or Program. The NAVAIR CPP strategy has been formalized into a process which involves the identification of high potential SBIR projects which meet warfighter requirements and have high potential for transition into a Program of Record (POR), the identification of shared SBIR/Program Office transition investment strategies, confirmation of requirements through due diligence, transition risk identification and risk mitigation planning. Dawnbreaker has streamlined and automated this process for NAVAIR through the use of a web-based Technology Portfolio Evaluation Tool™. Each year, the "web-based" tool facilitates a collaborative, "virtual" evaluation of over a hundred SBIR topics by NAVAIR technologists, Program Offices and PEOs distributed throughout NAVAIR's global geographic footprint.
Comprehensive upfront planning, early risk identification and risk mitigation significantly improve technology transition success. Dawnbreaker's implementation of NAVAIR's CPP centers on a comprehensive risk identification and mitigation strategy. Within this construct, when a SBIR topic is identified by the Program Office (PMA) and endorsed by the respective PEO as a technology with "high potential" for rapid transition, the Dawnbreaker Support CPP Team conducts a rigorous "due diligence" of the proposed transition utilizing a Transition Risk Assessment (TRA) process.
The TRA process involves a review and assessment of the SBIR Company's capability and capacity to complete the intended transition and delivery of the product, technology or service to the Program of Record. In addition to reviewing the company, a business case assessment is conducted (i.e. program funding, contracting, and other programmatic issues), technology maturity is confirmed and areas requiring risk mitigation strategies are identified. The output of the process is the identification and quantification of the transition risks and other information necessary for the NAVAIR SBIR Program Manager and the Acquisition Program Office to build a comprehensive Program Plan and Technology Transition Agreement (TTA) to plan and document the execution of the transition.
Dawnbreaker's Transition Risk Assessment (TRA) Toolkit™ consists of:
For more information Dawnbreaker's Program Management Services or any of our transition toolkits contact Al Clark or Bob Larsen.
Capt. Alfred (Al) Clark, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
(301) 866-9898
aclark@dawnbreaker.com
