New Guidance Helps Defense Programs Get on the Software Acquisition Pathway

December 17, 2025—Department of War (DoW) programs adopting the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) face many decisions about how to adapt their acquisition practices. The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) on Friday released the first installment in its SWP Essentials Kit, a set of resource guides to help defense programs overcome barriers and challenges when implementing the SWP in their unique environments. The kit is part of the SEI’s Software Acquisition Go Bag series, which provides actionable guidance for advancing acquisition practices in the federal government.

Renewed Urgency for Faster Software Delivery

The SWP breaks from decades of hardware-centric acquisition regulations. It requires the use of current software tools and practices, such as iterative and incremental Agile software development, to speed delivery of software-enabled capability to the warfighter. This March, the Secretary of War directed all DoW components to adopt the SWP as the preferred pathway for acquiring software. But implementing the SWP looks different for different programs, depending on their missions and environments. To help defense software programs on this journey, the SEI is developing the SWP Essentials Kit, a set of five Tactical Guides to starting on the Software Acquisition Pathway.

The SEI has released the first of these guides. SWP: Ready, Set, Go! provides a mechanism for assessing a program’s readiness to adopt the SWP, identifying any shortfalls, and obtaining resources, information, and support. Three other assets accompany the guide:

• Supplement: What Is the Software Acquisition Pathway?
• Video: How do we scope and sequence an MVP, MVCR, and subsequent releases?
• Video: For those on the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP), how do we catch problems before they escalate?

Future Tactical Guides in the Essentials Kit will include

• Cracking the Capability Needs Statement (CNS) Code
• Pack Light, Measure Right
• Building a Value-Oriented User Agreement
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Minimum Viable Capability Release (MVCR), and Release Planning

Tools for Seven Types of Users

Go Bag kits are curated collections of short Tactical Guides and supplements about a specific acquisition topic. Individual resources are keyed to seven types of Go Bag users: program office team members, sponsors, decision authorities, certification authorities, software end users, product teams, and test and evaluation personnel. Go Bag users can configure kits to match their mission contexts. The Go Bag resources will expand continuously based on user and community feedback.

“Software development organizations now have great flexibility and fast-changing technology, but there are no tried-and-true paths to success for defense programs looking to break away from legacy acquisition methods,” said Eileen Wrubel, technical director of software acquisition policy and practice in the SEI’s Software Solutions Division (SSD). “The Go Bag provides data-driven, proven practices for developing and implementing software acquisition strategies that align with modern engineering practice. The guidance helps stakeholders get the right information for their specific program, capability, and technology.”

Wrubel emphasized that the Go Bag can help defense programs acquiring software-enabled capabilities whether they are on the Software Acquisition Pathway or seeking to improve acquisition practices while using one of the other five Adaptive Acquisition Framework pathways. “Any stakeholder in a software acquisition project can use the Go Bag, whether they’re a DoW program office, system users, another federal agency, or a commercial enterprise looking to be a better mission partner.”

Seeking Community Feedback

The SEI’s background readied it for this moment: four decades of research across software engineering disciplines, status as a trusted broker between industry and government, and expertise integrating empirical analysis with software engineering and acquisition science. SEI experts contributed to a foundational study behind the SWP and to the policy itself, which the Pentagon issued in 2020. “Our team has helped hundreds of DoW programs implement practical, effective engineering and acquisition programs,” said Brigid O’Hearn, the SEI’s DoW software modernization policy lead. “We’re excited to share the lessons we’ve learned with Go Bag users.”

With the launch of the Go Bag, the SEI is inviting the acquisition community, whether in defense, intelligence, or industry, to shape future offerings. Go Bag users can submit ideas and feedback via the Go Bag team’s online contact form or during their live webcasts, the next of which will take place January 12.

“We will continue to develop the Go Bag in response to user needs,” said Wrubel. “Together, we can pack the Go Bag with the right tools to advance software acquisition for our nation’s defense.”

Check out the SWP Essentials Kit, including the SWP: Ready, Set Go! Tactical Guide, supplements, and videos. To learn more about the Go Bag and the SWP, download the Go Bag User’s Guide, visit the Go Bag web page, and register to attend the Ready, Set, Go! webcast January 12.

Catch up on the Go Bag in Wrubel and O’Hearn’s blog post 5 Essential Questions for Implementing the Software Acquisition Pathway and the Tools to Tackle Them, and watch their October webcast. Give feedback on the Go Bag via our contact form. Stay up to date on the latest Go Bag releases by subscribing to the project’s mailing list.