Re: [QUERY] Familiar with ANSI/IEEE standards?

[Loren Castro <lfc -at- SOL -dot- CHINALAKE -dot- NAVY -dot- MIL>]

Excerpts from Bev's recent post (the first part quotes me):

>> I can't claim familiarity with these ANSI/IEEE standards yet,
>> but I think they are worthwhile if only because they are likely
>> to become the standards that the government uses in a couple of
>> years.  As Bev Parks pointed out some time ago, the current DOD
>> standard for software documentation, MIL-STD-498, was issued only
>> as a temporary replacement for the much maligned DOD-STD-2167A.
>> As I understand it, MIL-STD-498 is meant to disappear in a couple
>> of years and be replaced by the ANSI/IEEE standards.  Comments, Bev?

> I don't have any new information on MIL-STD-498, but what I do
> have doesn't mention anything about it being temporary! The Dec
> 94 issue of NetFocus (the newsletter of the Software Program
> Managers Network) states "Heralding a new age of DoD software
> development, MIL-STD-498 represents the culmination of a 15 year
> joint effort by DoD and industry." I would certainly hope that a
> 15-year effort wouldn't culminate in a temporary document!

> The only reference I have to other standards in relation to
> MIL-STD-498 is from the same newsletter: "MIL-STD-498 also
> defines the DOD specific envelope which will ultimately include
> ISO 12207 and 9001."

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Oops.  Looks like I gave Bev more credit than she wanted.
Anyway, I did a little research this morning, and for the
two percent or so of you who are interested, here are the
bare facts as I understand them.

Sometime in 1994, as part of the much needed "acquisition
reform," Secretary of Defense Perry directed that the DOD
could no longer cite military and DOD standards in solicitations
and contracts.

In November 1994, the DOD released MIL-STD-498.  (Clear so far?)

In February 1995, the Acquisition Reform Office issued a memorandum
that granted the DOD a two-year waiver from Secretary Perry's
directive.  (Ah, I see.)

So the deal is that 498 was dead before it was released but is valid
for two years.  Its replacement seems to be uncertain at this time
but probably will be one or more IEEE standards, something else from
the government, or something from a source as yet unknown.

This probably seems strange, but look at the chronology of government
standards for software development and documentation over the years:

        1 December 1978         MIL-STD-1679 (Navy)
        22 October 1983         DOD-STD-1679A (Navy)
        4 June 1985             DOD-STD-2167
        29 February 1988        DOD-STD-2167A
        14 November 1994        MIL-STD-498

And something else will appear in 1996 or 1997, I guess.

lfc -at- sol -dot- chinalake -dot- navy -dot- mil