| name | doe-sem |
| description | Knowledge base from DOE Systems Engineering Methodology (SEM) Version 3 — the DOE SDLC for IT investments. Use for staged systems lifecycle planning through maintenance, Stage Exits, Structured Walkthroughs, In-Stage Assessments, requirements traceability, and CMM-aligned process discipline. Covers SEM3 (2002) guidance only; does not replace modern DevSecOps tooling standards, DOE O 413.3B capital-asset directives, or current CIO policy supersessions. |
DOE Systems Engineering Methodology (SEM) Version 3
Source: DOE SEM3 / DOE G 200.1-1A (US Government work, public domain) | Chapters: 7
When to use
Reach for this pack when planning or assessing a DOE-style systems development lifecycle for IT investments — especially stage gates (Stage Exits), peer Structured Walkthroughs, independent In-Stage Assessments, planning/QA/CM plan triad, requirements traceability, construction vs design boundaries, acceptance, or the nested maintenance process model.
Prerequisites: none — plain Markdown; no MCP server, API key, or licence tier needed at runtime.
How to Use This Skill
- Without arguments — load the core frameworks below.
- With a topic — ask about lifecycle stages, Stage Exit, walkthroughs, planning, requirements, design, construction, test/acceptance, or maintenance.
- With a chapter — ask for
ch01 through ch07.
Supporting files: glossary.md, patterns.md, cheatsheet.md.
Core Frameworks & Mental Models
What SEM is
DOE’s Systems Development Lifecycle guidance for IT investments (Office of the CIO). Version 3 renames software-centric SEM to systems engineering for IT projects and aligns practices with SEI CMM-SW Level 2/3 process areas.
Eight lifecycle stages
- Planning
- Requirements Definition
- Functional Design
- System Design
- Construction (formerly Programming)
- Integration and Testing
- Installation and Acceptance
- Maintenance (nested change lifecycle)
Quality machinery (every development stage)
| Mechanism | Role |
|---|
| Structured Walkthrough | Peer technical review of work products |
| In-Stage Assessment | Independent QA review of stage deliverables |
| Stage Exit | Owner/stakeholder go / continue / abandon decision |
Planning triad
Project Plan + Quality Assurance Plan + Configuration Management Plan baseline how the project will be managed, assured, and controlled.
Traceability
Requirements Traceability Matrix links needs → requirements → design → test → acceptance evidence.
Modern use note
Source date is September 2002. Keep stage intents, gates, and CM/QA discipline; modernize tools (cloud, CI/CD, agile increments) without dropping exits and baselining.
Chapter Index
| # | Section | Key content |
|---|
| ch01 | Purpose and Context | SEM scope, v3 changes, CMM alignment, DOE CIO context |
| ch02 | Lifecycle Model & Quality Reviews | Eight stages; walkthroughs; assessments; Stage Exits; tailoring |
| ch03 | Planning Stage | Feasibility, plans triad, risk, EA, performance measures |
| ch04 | Requirements & Functional Design | RTM, baselines, logical design |
| ch05 | System Design & Construction | Physical design, build, unit verification, CM |
| ch06 | Integration Test & Acceptance | System test, install, owner acceptance, training |
| ch07 | Maintenance | Nested change process model and metrics |
Topic Index
- Acceptance / owner decision → ch06
- CMM-SW alignment → ch01, ch02
- Configuration management plan → ch03, ch05, ch07
- Construction stage → ch05
- COTS considerations → ch05, ch07
- Enterprise Architecture (DOE EA) → ch03
- Feasibility analysis → ch03
- Functional design → ch04
- In-Stage Assessment → ch02
- Installation → ch06
- Integration and testing → ch06
- Lifecycle stages overview → ch02
- Maintenance process model → ch07
- Performance measures → ch03, ch06
- Planning stage → ch03
- Project plan → ch03
- Quality assurance plan → ch03
- Requirements definition → ch04
- Requirements traceability matrix (RTM) → ch04, ch06
- Risk management → ch03
- Stage Exit → ch02, ch06
- Structured Walkthrough → ch02
- System design → ch05
- System owner / users → ch03, ch06
- Tailoring by project size → ch02, ch07
Supporting Files
- glossary.md — SEM lifecycle terms with chapter references
- patterns.md — implementation patterns (When/How/Trade-offs)
- cheatsheet.md — decision rules, stage map, tells & smells
Scope & Limits
This pack covers DOE Systems Engineering Methodology Version 3 (SEM3_1231.pdf, September 2002, DOE G 200.1-1A) — the DOE SDLC for IT investments — as synthesized reference notes. Extracted page count recorded in PACK.yaml is 318. It does not cover: current superseding DOE CIO directives if any; DOE O 413.3B capital asset project management in full; agile/DevSecOps toolchains as mandates; or non-IT nuclear/facility systems engineering methods. US Government public domain work. No source-material download link is published. In-PDF third-party copyright check at build found no copyright notices (IEEE/SEI are citations only).
