Systems Development Life Cycle Management

The Department of Labor has a System Development and Life Cycle Management (SDLCM) process. Its purpose is to ensure that our automated systems are planned, implemented, modified, and maintained in a manner that meets the program and business needs of the Department with a high degree of reliability, effectiveness, security, and cost efficiency. The seven basic steps in the system life cycle are as follows:

1. Conceptual Planning Phase

The SDLCM methodology begins with the Conceptual Planning Phase. It is during this phase that a need to develop or significantly enhance a system is identified, its feasibility and costs assessed, and risk and project-planning approaches defined.

2. Planning and Requirements Definition Phase

The Planning and Requirements Definition Phase begins after the project has been defined and appropriate resources have been committed. The two key aspects of this phase are 1) planning and 2) defining the functional requirements that the system will need to address. During this phase, the Project Management Plan is updated to include or provide additional detail regarding the development approach and methods, tools, tasks, resources, and schedules. Functional requirements are defined to address data, system performance, security, and maintainability aspects of the system.

3. Design Phase

Upon completion of the Planning and Requirements Definition Phase, the system progresses to the Design Phase. During this phase, functional requirements are translated into preliminary and detailed designs. Decisions are made to address how the system will meet functional, physical, interface, and data requirements. A preliminary (general) system design emphasizing the functional features of the system is produced as a high level guide. Then a final (detailed) system design is produced which expands the design by specifying all the technical detail needed to develop the system.

4. Development and Test Phase

During the Development and Test Phase, executable software is developed from detailed design specifications. The system is validated through a sequence of unit, integration, system, and acceptance test activities. The objective is to ensure that the system functions as expected and user requirements are satisfied. Large systems are solicited, awarded, and managed in accordance with the Acquisition Plan. All hardware, system software, communications, applications, procedures, and associated documentation are developed/acquired, tested, and integrated. This phase requires strong user participation in order to verify thorough testing of all requirements and meet all business needs.

5. Implementation Phase

During the Implementation Phase, the new or enhanced system is installed in the production environment, users are trained, data is converted (as needed), and the system is turned over to the user. This phase includes efforts required to implement the system as well as to resolve any problems identified during the implementation process.

6. Operations and Maintenance Phase

Once a system becomes operational, it moves to the Operations and Maintenance Phase. The emphasis of this phase is to ensure that the user needs continue to be met and that the system continues to perform according to specifications. Routine hardware and software maintenance and upgrades are performed to ensure effective system operations. User training continues during this phase as needed, to acquaint new users to the system or to introduce new features to the current users. Additional user support is provided, as an ongoing activity, to help resolve reported problems. This phase continues until the system is retired.

7. Disposition Phase

The Disposition Phase represents the end of the systems life cycle. It provides for the systematic termination of a system to ensure that vital information is preserved for potential future access and/or reactivation. The system, when placed in the Disposition Phase, has been declared surplus and/or obsolete, and is scheduled to be shut down. The emphasis of this phase is to ensure that the system (e.g. software, data, procedures, and documentation) is packaged and archived in an orderly fashion, enabling the system to be reinstalled later, if desired. System records are retained in accordance with DOL policies regarding retention of electronic records.

The use of the SDLCM manual applies to all DOL and contractor personnel who develop, acquire (e.g., Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS)), or manage new systems, or make modifications or enhancements to existing systems. Adherence to the manual by system developers, users, and all levels of DOL management across all functional areas is crucial to delivering cost effective information systems. DOL agencies are responsible for ensuring that the systems development and management approach described in the manual is practiced on a day-to-day basis.