The department of defense should collaborate with the departments of state and commerce to make a formal policy statement regarding the role of open source software within itar. Dod struggles to implement open source software pilots. Open source software oss in the department of defense dod this memorandum reiterates current policy and provides additional guidance on the acquisition, use and development of oss within dod. More fundamentally, deasy stressed that most of the dods custom software that would need to be open sourced under section 886 is created for weapons systems like the f35 and the f. Aug 08, 2016 specifically, the order outlines requirements for implementing open source code produced by andor for the agency in accordance with omb memorandum m1621, federal source code policy. Making code available for reuse as open source can have major benefits such as reducing costs and improving efficiency. This memo provides guidance for all navy and marine corps commands regarding the use of open source. Dod groups to treat foss in the same fashion as proprietary software, and subsequently made even more explicit in the 2009 wennergren clarification of the stenbit. Many challenges dod faces in open sourcing software are not unique.
Department of defense dod issued an updated policy on the use of open source software oss. Open source software oss policy gsa open technology. These policies focus around ten 10 key areas and their associated tasks which mandate that software engineering. Although im pleased to see the widespread consump tion of open source software in the dod, we can do so much more. Department of defense dod has issued a policy that officially authorizes the use of opensource software at the department, a move opensource pundits say opens the door. Department of defense dod has issued a policy that officially authorizes the use of open source software at the department, a move open source pundits say opens the door to more. Department of defense open government data at data. Government software acquisition policies dfars and data. Department of defense sets opensource policy itworld. Achieving efficiency, transparency, and innovation through reusable and open source software the u. Deasy said that dod is in the process of developing custom code policy that. Federal source code policy pushed agencies to use open source software. When the omb and dod declared open source software to be commercial software, it wasnt a bureaucratic trick to legitimize open source. Dod struggles to implement open source software pilots fedscoop.
The department of defenses congressionally mandated efforts to create an open source software program arent going so well. Achieving efficiency, transparency, and innovation through reusable and open source software, dated august 8, 2016. Sep, 2019 more fundamentally, deasy stressed that most of the dod s custom software that would need to be open sourced under section 886 is created for weapons systems like the f35 and the f22, and as. In february 2017 the defense digital service started a conversation with the free and open source software community on how the dod could better open source code, the officials said. Apr 25, 2020 companies using open source software often create a companywide policy to ensure that all staff is informed of how to use open source especially in products. In that time, as kane mclean writes in his article, military open source community growing, its use in the department of defense dod has grown significantly, widely adopted and implemented in a variety of systems. Government software acquisition policies dfars and. Dod said it plans to release a policy, conduct an analysis, and update the existing open source software memo by the end of 2019, but it has. Licensing policies, principles, and resources project. Licensing policies, principles, and resources project open data.
The memo was not a policy statement but instead a clarification and guidance on the use of open source software oss within the agency. Sep 10, 2019 dod said it plans to release a policy, conduct an analysis, and update the existing open source software memo by the end of 2019, but it has no plans to release 20% of its custom code as open. Perhaps in response, open source spread throughout the dod. Don open source software guidance don cio memo publish date. Clarifying guidance regarding open source software oss, signed by david m. Dod esi white paper considerations for open source software use. Dod must release at least 20 percent of its custom software as open source through a pilot required by a 2016 office of management and budget directive and the 2018 national defense authorization act.
Dod policy treats oss in a manner similar to commercial offtheshelf cots software. During the first phase, which launched on february 22, 2017, we called upon the developer community to help finalize our open source strategy for code written by dod employees. Open source projects in the private sector naturally attract contributors and organized community involvement, it is only natural that the same is happening now that the dod has embraced oss. Open source software oss, sometimes referred to as free and open source. Companies using open source software often create a companywide policy to ensure that all staff is informed of how to use open source especially in products. Open source software and the department of defense. The department of defense dod announced the launch of code. Government is committed to improving the way federal agencies buy. Drafting software policy at dod progressive policy. Open source as good as proprietary software the department of defense issues a memo outlining guidance for using open source software and for contributing code back to the community. Defense department relaunches open source software portal. It was first published on the disa web site, and is now available on the dod cio web site on open source software resources.
Erdcitl sr1632 open source software compliance within the. It has been three and a half years since software tech news addressed the topic of open source software oss. An open source policy exists to maximize the impact and benefit of using open source, and to ensure that any technical, legal or business risks resulting from that usage are properly. Dod hasnt enforced requirements for components to secure data rights and completely document source code. That guidance is expected to be issued by the end of the year. Gao also found in its report that dod hasnt developed a consistent way to measure the performance of its pilot or issued its own policy for open. This is the dod policy memo on open source software oss open. Army runs at least one piece of open source software. Federal government has been mandated to open source 20% of new, customdeveloped code for a three year. The effort to develop a policy on using foss instead moved towards a much more evenhanded policy that was initiated with the stenbit open source software policy, that requires u. These policies focus around ten 10 key areas and their associated tasks which mandate that software engineering practitioners and program managers pm must. Open source software compliance within the government dtic.
Dod and open source software 1 introduction with tight budgets, aggressive schedules, and a pressing need to adapt quickly to meet changing business conditions, organizations throughout the u. Department of defense dod has issued a policy that officially authorizes the use of opensource software at the department, a move opensource pundits say opens the door to more. This memo provides guidance for all navy and marine corps commands regarding the use of open source software, which supports the department of defense goal of achieving an interoperable netcentric environment. Software source code and associated design documents are data as defined by dod. Erdcitl sr1632 open source software compliance within. Software acquisition pathway interim policy and procedures, 3 jan 2020 this interim policy establishes direction, responsibilities, and procedures for the management of the software. The department of defense should collaborate with the departments of state and commerce to make a formal policy statement regarding the role of open source software within itar and export controls, specifying what is permissible under the agreements and in what ways open source licensing can speed the transfer of code to and facilitate the. Open source software oss in the department of defense dod this memorandum reiterates current policy and provides additional guidance on the. Sep 10, 2019 open source software is code released under a license that grants users the right to modify, share, and reuse the software. In that time, as kane mclean writes in his article, military open source community. Department of defense dod is one of the largest consumers of open source in the world. The department of defense dod and open source software. He helped develop the department of defenses open source software policy and faq and has written other guidance materials to help people understand how to use and collaboratively develop open.
Making code available for reuse as open source can have major. Much of the information collected there is applicable to other federal agencies. It has also issued a technical memo discussing legal, policy and technical issues surrounding the use of oss. Potential benefits of oss include better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and not being locked into a single vendor. Department of defense has issued a policy that officially authorizes the use of open source software at the department, a move open source pundits said opens the door to more government. An educational resource for government employees and government contractors to understand the policies and legal issues relating to the use.
It was issued by david wennergren, deputy cio of the u. The defense digital service dds has been working with department of defense dod and the open source community since early 2017 to develop a guideline for supporting open source software oss within the department. The dod faces many challenges in open sourcing code. Oss has been defined by the department of defense dod as computer software that includes source code that can be used and modified by the user. The white house will release a draft policy thursday for sharing source code among federal agencies, including a pilot program that will make a portion of federal code open source. Among other things, the policy included a pilot program requiring agencies to publish 20 percent of code written by the government. Software acquisition adaptive acquisition framework.
Deasy said that dod is in the process of developing custom code policy that includes plans for a custom software inventory and additional guidance on open source software. Clarifying guidance regarding open source software oss. An educational resource for government employees and government contractors to understand the policies and legal issues relating to the use of open source software in the dod. Oss refers to software that is ed and distributed under a license that. Department of defense dod see the appeal of the open source model. Open source software and the department of defense center. Congress required the department of defense to start an open source software pilot program in accordance with requirements from the office of management. Dod policy treats oss in a manner similar to commercial. The defense digital service dds has been working with department of. Sep 10, 2019 dod hasnt enforced requirements for components to secure data rights and completely document source code. Open source software policy is better without open source. Dod said it plans to release a policy, conduct an analysis, and update the existing open source software memo by the end of 2019, but it has no plans to release 20% of its custom code as.
New omb policy aims to make federal agency code open source. Second, the bill as written takes a strong position. Open source software is code released under a license that grants users the right to modify, share, and reuse the software. Software acquisition pathway interim policy and procedures, 3 jan 2020 this interim policy establishes direction, responsibilities, and procedures for the management of the software acquisition pathway pursuant to the authorities outlined in dod directive 54. Government is committed to improving the way federal agencies buy, build, and deliver information technology it and software solutions to better support cost efficiency, mission effectiveness, and the consumer. He helped develop the department of defenses open source software policy and faq and has written other guidance materials to help people understand how to use and collaboratively develop open source software in government. The goal is to foster open collaboration with the developer community across the world on dod open source projects. It is important to note that open source software is not. Dod policy treats oss in a manner similar to commercial offtheshelf. First, the bill appears to require companies to turn over the software source code for any products purchased by the department of defense. Specifically, the order outlines requirements for implementing open source code produced by andor for the agency in accordance with omb memorandum m1621, federal source code policy.
Us department of defense sets opensource policy infoworld. Efficiency, transparency, and innovation through reusable and open source software. Software source code and associated design documents are data as defined by dod directive 8320. Department of defense dod has issued a policy that officially authorizes the use of open source software at the department, a move open source pundits say opens the door. Frequently asked questions regarding open source software oss and the department of defense dod this page is an educational resource for government employees and government contractors to understand the policies and legal issues relating to the use of open source software oss in the department of defense dod. Sep 11, 2019 the department of defenses congressionally mandated efforts to create an open source software program arent going so well. Yes, dod issued a memorandum in october of 2009 providing clarifying guidance on the use and development of open source software oss, which supersedes it earlier memo issued in may of 2003.
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