Open Architecture Contracting, Data Rights & Vendor Independence Training by Tonex
Open architecture contracting determines whether a submarine program can meaningfully compete future upgrades and sustainment work. This course covers requirements drafting, intellectual property considerations, interface deliverables, technical data rights, competition planning, and vendor dependence. Participants examine the difference between obtaining a standards-compliant component and securing the documentation, licenses, and integration evidence needed to replace that component later. Acquisition and technical teams learn to coordinate data-rights negotiations with realistic engineering dependencies and properly authorized disclosure obligations.
Cybersecurity must remain effective when suppliers change or support arrangements expire. Coordinated contract requirements strengthen cybersecurity by securing update authority, vulnerability reporting, technical documentation, and controlled access to sensitive interfaces.
The practical training approach includes exercises, real-world case studies, and examples of processes and documentation used in submarine acquisition and open architecture projects, including solicitation clauses, contract data requirement lists, interface delivery schedules, and data-rights risk registers.
Learning Objectives
- Draft verifiable modular architecture and supplier deliverable requirements
- Distinguish technical data ownership, license rights, and permitted use
- Assess vendor lock-in across integration tools and proprietary interfaces
- Evaluate supplier disclosure obligations and information protection needs
- Plan independent sustainment and competitive technology replacement
- Include cybersecurity and vulnerability response in contractual responsibilities
Audience
- Defense Contracting Officers
- Acquisition Legal and Policy Specialists
- Submarine Program Managers
- Technical Data Rights Managers
- Open Architecture Engineers
- Supplier Management Personnel
- Cybersecurity Professionals
- Configuration Control Specialists
Course Modules
Module 1: Contracting Objectives for Open Architectures
- Connect procurement competition goals to modular architecture requirements
- Identify interface deliverables supporting component substitution and sustainment
- Distinguish specification conformance from enforceable contractor obligations
- Define measurable acceptance language for open architecture commitments
- Allocate implementation responsibilities across prime and subcontractor agreements
- Recognize when legal review is necessary for intellectual property provisions
Module 2: Technical Data Rights and Licensing Considerations
- Distinguish technical data from computer software and associated documentation
- Identify government-purpose needs for using delivered interface information
- Evaluate how license limitations affect sustainment and competitive upgrades
- Review delivery requirements for drawings, source records, and interface specifications
- Avoid assuming published technical standards convey rights to proprietary implementations
- Document unresolved rights restrictions and their lifecycle consequences
Module 3: Reducing Vendor Dependence and Lock In
- Identify proprietary management tools and undocumented application dependencies
- Compare modular substitution scenarios across potential alternative suppliers
- Evaluate component portability claims against available integration artifacts
- Assess sustainment continuity following supplier withdrawal or product discontinuation
- Specify rights and assistance needed for independently supported replacements
- Develop mitigation plans for high-consequence single-source dependencies
Module 4: Solicitations Evaluations and Source Selection
- Incorporate architecture and documentation requirements in solicitation materials
- Establish evidence-based criteria for assessing standards implementation claims
- Review offeror approaches to interface disclosure and change governance
- Compare lifecycle support obligations beyond initial purchase price
- Validate proposed subcontracting arrangements for openness requirements
- Record defensible technical findings consistent with procurement governance
Module 5: Configuration Disclosure and Contract Administration
- Define schedules for technical data delivery and periodic updates
- Monitor approval of configuration and interface baseline changes
- Review deviations from required modular interfaces and contracted profiles
- Coordinate corrective action for incomplete data and failing conformance tests
- Align acceptance records with contract data deliverables
- Preserve usable documentation for follow-on acquisition and sustainment
Module 6: Security Obligations Across Supplier Boundaries
- Specify authorized handling requirements for sensitive technical documentation
- Define software security maintenance and vulnerability notification expectations
- Address secure transfer of configuration data and update credentials
- Evaluate software supply chain transparency provisions and supplier attestations
- Require appropriate access management for maintenance interface information
- Incorporate cybersecurity verification records into contractual acceptance reviews
Improve contract clarity, data-rights decisions, and long-term options for independent submarine sustainment. Open Architecture Contracting, Data Rights & Vendor Independence Training by Tonex supports professional engineering and cybersecurity decisions across complex modular submarine programs. Register with Tonex to strengthen your technical capabilities.