eRA has adopted the Rational Unified Process (RUP)^TM for J2EE efforts for the Commons Version 2 redesign and IMPAC II. RUP is a complex, multi-phase methodology that uses "best practices" to ensure that community input is incorporated in the development process, resources are allocated appropriately, and schedules are clearly defined and met.

RUP verifies quality by satisfying "use" case requirements rather than validating design. "Use" cases are requirements expressed as the story of how users interact with the system to achieve an observable result. RUP methodology uses an iterative rather than linear software development path and ensures constant improvement by performing assessments throughout the process.