Critical Design Review
Purpose:
- Determine that detail design of the configuration item under review satisfies cost (for cost type contracts), schedule, and performance requirements.
- Establish detail design compatibility among the configuration item and other items of equipment, facilities, computer software and personnel.
- Assess configuration item risk areas (on a technical, cost, and schedule basis).
- For new development hardware configuration items; assess the results of producibility analyses conducted on system hardware.
- For new development hardware configuration items; review preliminary hardware product specifications.
- For CSCIs, this review will focus on the determination of the acceptability of the detailed design, performance, and test characteristics of the design solution, and on the adequacy of the operation and support documents.
Description: CDR shall be conducted for each configuration item before release of design for manufacturing. For large complex configuration items, the CDR may be a progressive or incremental review, culminating in a system level CDR which essentially reviews the completeness of preceeding CDRs and ensures adequate interfaces between the configuration items.
Entry Criteria:
- Detailed checklist
- Successful completion of all action items related to the previous conference (PDR).
- Published agenda (several days prior to the conference).
- Acceptance of all applicable CDRLs.
- See the contract for specific criteria which may be unique to your program.
Exit Criteria:
- Detailed checklist
- Approval of CDR normally establishes the "design freeze" date. This design freeze does not generally include software design in the sense that software is always flexible and being modified to reflect improvements. In another sense, software is frozen where changes to the software would modify the approved trainer performance requirements. Changes in design made before design freeze can usually be made without the necessity for formal engineering change action, if the change is within the scope of the contract. A change made after design freeze requires a Trainer Engineering Change Proposal (TECP), and negotiation with the contractor, followed by a modification to the contract to document the nature and extent of the change.
- Acceptance of published minutes to include list of attendees.
- Completion of all action items assigned to the contractor.
- Acceptance of any CDRLs due at the CDR.
- Concurrence from the Government/Contractor IPT members that all issues in the conference agenda have been addressed.
Outputs and Customers: The completion of CDR usually initiates the start of formal configuration management by the Contractor of the technical baseline. Any changes to that baseline can only be accomplished with the approval of the Government.
Tools Required: In addition to the published agenda, a checklist of subject areas of concern can be used to evaluate the contractors coverage of the detailed design.
