F.14.  System Readiness Levels

SRLs aim to take a consolidated view of the essential steps needed to mature and deliver a complete supportable system to the User. They are intended to help project staff measure and communicate System Maturity (see Figure F-21).

When used in conjunction with Technology Readiness Levels, SRLs provide a means of progressively measuring project maturity at technology, component, sub system and whole system levels.

Source: AOF website

Figure F-21 : An overview of the SRL assessment process

SRLs are achieved by analysing outputs from an equipment acquisition project in a way that provides an understanding of the work required to mature the project.

This is done using a matrix to capture the agreed key outputs, and understand how they should mature over time; a self assessment tool is available to help with this.

In the standard SRL matrix, each SRL level from 1 to 9 is broken down into key outputs that need to be achieved for each of the systems disciplines including:

•  Systems Engineering Drivers

•  Training

•  Safety and Environment

•  Reliability and Maintainability

•  Human Factors Integration

•  Software

•  Information Systems

•  Airworthiness

•  Project Specific Area

SRLs track against Systems Engineering

Source: AOF website

Figure F-22: An example of how SRLs relate to a system discipline

As shown in Figure F-23, the target for Initial Gate should generally be to gather enough evidence to support an SRL1 assessment across all systems disciplines.

At Main Gate the evidence should generally be enough to support SRL4 across all systems disciplines.

Declaration of ISD will normally demand evidence to support SRL8 or above.