Advancement Degree of Difficulty

Definition
The Advancement Degree of Difficulty (AD2) is

"a method that predicts what is required to move a technology component, subsystem, or system from one TRL to another."

Overview
"Information is provided by determining (1) the activities required to mature the technology (2) the cost associated with those activities, (3) the time required to accomplish those activities, and (4) the likelihood that those activities cannot be accomplished. The information is derived from a set of questions in the five areas of design and analysis, manufacturing, software development, test, and operations. Not all agencies use a standardized AD2 process. Some agencies rely on development of the TMP to identify developmental tasks and quantify the resources related to maturing a critical technology from its current TRL to the target TRL. Another method, Research and Development Degree of Difficulty (R&D3) is a 5-level scale intended to supplement the TRL by characterizing the degree of difficulty in proceeding from the current TRL state to desired level, with 5 being very difficult a 1 being least difficult to mature the technology (Mankins 2002).The Risk Identification, Integration, and Ilities (RI3) method to support program managers and system engineers in the development and integration of new and reused technologies by identifying technical risks that historically have hampered previous programs. When used as an integral part of an integrated systems engineering strategy, this approach can be done early to enable evidence-based decisions and mitigate the potential for cost overruns and schedule delays."