Tutorial Day: Tuesday, Nov 3

Choose a morning class, an afternoon class, or maximize your professional development by attending both.

Morning Sessions [8:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Tutorials 1-5]

Afternoon Sessions [1:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Tutorials 6-9]

$300 — One Tutorial
$500 — Two Tutorials

Separate registration is required for tutorials. Lunch is not included. Tutorial registration is available as an add-on to your FORGE conference registration.

Explore the tutorials below and choose the sessions that will help you take your expertise to the next level.

Tutorial 1 Mission Need to Decision Advantage

AI-Enabled Mission Engineering, Digital Engineering, Test & Evaluation, and Decision Support Using iRIS Generation 2

Instructors: Dr. Suzanne Beers and Mr. Angel Martinez, Celeris Systems, Inc, Mr. Joe Manas; Vice Chair, NDIA Test & Evaluation Division and Mr. David Harrison; NDIA Test & Evaluation Division Board Member

Abstract

Department of Defense acquisition programs face increasing system-of-systems complexity, fragmented engineering and test data, evolving threats, and growing pressure to make faster, evidence-based decisions. Traditional engineering and evaluation processes often struggle to provide leaders with timely, mission-relevant insight across the capability development lifecycle. Closing that gap requires more than new tools; it demands a shared understanding of the mission engineering, systems engineering, test and evaluation, and decision-support principles that underpin defensible acquisition and operational decisions.

The tutorial is deliberately structured to progress from foundational theory to practical application and future capability evolution. The first half introduces the theoretical, engineering, and policy foundations of Mission Engineering, Digital Engineering, Test and Evaluation, Department of Defense Evaluation Frameworks (DEF, OEF, IDSK, and DSEF), and evidence-based decision support. The second half demonstrates how Celeris Systems’ iRIS Generation 2 (Gen2) implements these concepts within an AI-enabled Mission Engineering, Digital Engineering, Test and Evaluation (ME-DE-T&E) and decision-support environment designed to accelerate capability delivery and improve decision quality. Participants will follow an end-to-end workflow and conclude with an overview of the platform’s technical roadmap and planned future enhancements. Attendees will leave with the knowledge needed to assess both the underlying methodology and its applicability within their own programs, services, and test organizations.

To provide broader community and industry perspectives beyond the tool implementation itself, Modules 1 and 2 will include contributions from representatives of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Test & Evaluation Division. Drawing on lessons learned documented through NDIA white papers, Industrial Committee on Operational Test & Evaluation (ICOTE) discussions, workshops, and conference panels, these presenters will share practical insights into the challenges of integrating mission engineering, systems engineering, digital engineering, and test and evaluation disciplines into cohesive, evidence-based decision-making processes.

The tutorial illustrates how Celeris’ iRIS Gen2 has implemented the engineering and policy foundations, yet over half of the tutorial focuses on transferable methods, including mission decomposition, evaluation framework construction, evidence traceability, and risk-informed decision support. These concepts are applicable regardless of the specific tools or technologies used by an organization.

Who should attend

The tutorial is designed for a mixed audience of practitioners and decision makers, including mission and systems engineers, test and evaluation planners and directors, operational test agency personnel, program managers and staff, chief engineers, digital engineering leads, and government and industry professionals responsible for producing or consuming evaluation evidence.
No prior familiarity with iRIS is assumed or required. General familiarity with DoW acquisition, systems engineering, or test and evaluation practice will make the material more immediately useful, but the theory and policy foundations in Module 1 are presented from first principles. No software installation, account, or laptop is required; the demonstration is instructor-driven.

Tutorial 2 Beyond the Test Plan: Building Soft Skills for Effective T&E Teams

Instructors: Dr. Robin Poston, Southern Methodist University and Mr. Wayne Dumais, Department of Homeland Security

Abstract

Join our interactive Tutorial at this year’s FORGE to explore soft skills that drive success throughout the test and evaluation discipline. Through hands-on activities and real-world scenarios, participants will build confidence and learn practical strategies for effective teamwork. Elevate your impact and unlock new pathways to professional growth. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your approach and achieve excellence in T&E!

Tutorial 3 Capability Based T&E

Instructor: Mr. Kenneth Senechal, KBR

Check back for the abstract 

Tutorial 4 T&E Fundamentals and CTEP Foundations

Instructor:  Mr. Tim Grabert, Nova Systems

A course focused on the Certified Test & Evaluation Professional (CTEP) Body of Knowledge (BOK) to include the 4 CTEP domains. Goal of the course is to prepare for the ITEA CTEP exam.

Abstract

In this high-level one-day course we will review the fundamentals of T&E which are covered in the CTEP Associates exam.  The course includes an introduction with a short history of T&E.  The class then focuses on the CTEP BOK including the four subject domains plus some specialized types of testing.

Test and Evaluation Planning: Requirements Analysis, T&E strategy, the TEMP, Evaluation approach, Test Planning, T&E Cost Management, Contracting for T&E, Organizational planning, Risk identification and management

Test and Evaluation Design: Test Adequacy and Scientific Test and Analysis Techniques (STAT)

Test and Evaluation Execution: Test Control Management, Data Management, and Test Safety/Certification.
Test Data Analysis

Evaluation and Reporting: Data Verification and Validation, Validation of Test Results, Evaluation, Reporting, Cyber Resilience / Cybersecurity Analysis, Model Validation, and Data Analytics.

Specialized types of Testing (if there is time): Integrated Test & Evaluation (IT&E), Human Factors Engineering in T&E, Modeling & Simulation (M&S) in T&E, Reliability Growth, Software Development (including Agile) in T&E, Artificial Intelligence in T&E, Cyber Security T&E, Live Fire T&E, and Interoperability T&E.

Who Should Attend

Individuals in the T&E community (government and industry, ITEA members and non-members) who want to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities in T&E and be recognized by the ITEA for their professional growth. Note that the CTEP credential is becoming a “preferred” requirement in many test engineer job postings.

Tutorial 5  JMETC: Enabling the Future of Test and Evaluation Through Connected, Digital Mission Environments

Instructor: Mr. Gene Hudgins, KBR supporting Test Resource Management Center (TRMC)

Abstract

As the Department of War continues to accelerate capability delivery, Test and Evaluation (T&E) must evolve to support increasingly complex, software-defined, and interconnected systems. The Joint Mission Environment Test Capability (JMETC) provides the persistent infrastructure, distributed connectivity, and technical expertise that enable collaborative, operationally relevant testing across the Services, industry, and government.

Built on the Test and Training Enabling Architecture (TENA), JMETC delivers a reusable, scalable foundation for distributed Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) test events, reducing cost, schedule, and technical risk while improving interoperability and mission realism. Through secure networking, integration services, and modern digital infrastructure, JMETC supports developmental and operational testing, interoperability certification, cyber testing, and Joint all-domain mission environments.

This presentation will highlight how JMETC is advancing the future of T&E through investments in Digital Engineering, TRMC DevSecOps services, modernized JMETC Networks and edge connectivity, Universal Command and Control (UC2), and the Cloud Hybrid Edge-to-Enterprise Evaluation & Test Analysis Suite (CHEETAS) environment. Attendees will gain insight into how JMETC is helping modernize test infrastructure, accelerate acquisition timelines, strengthen cyber resilience, and enable data-driven testing across the T&E enterprise.

Join us to learn how JMETC is connecting people, platforms, and test resources to transform ideas into operational capability and deliver a more agile, integrated, and effective Joint force.

Tutorial 6 Contracting and Acquisition

Instructor: Mr. Adam Martin, Department of Homeland Security

Abstract

Enhance your contracting skills with our interactive tutorial focused on incorporating Test & Evaluation (T&E) interests and requirements into acquisition contracts. Taught by T&E and contracting professionals, this course provides instruction on effectively addressing T&E needs through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process to the execution and completion of an acquisition contract. Real world examples will reinforce key concepts and practical application. Don’t miss this opportunity to integrate T&E focus points into your contracts and optimize your acquisition processes.

Tutorial 7  Shifting Left on Interoperability – Joint Interoperability Certification and Risk-Based TE&C

Instructors: Mr. Gary Morrow, JITC/DISA and multiple other JITC senior Policy and T&E specialists

Abstract

The Department of Defense continues to evolve its requirements and acquisition strategy under the Adaptive Acquisition Framework. As Joint Interoperability Requirements (JIR) and related processes adapt alongside the Joint Force Requirements Process (JFRP) and the JIR framework, testing methodologies must evolve in tandem. This tutorial provides Test & Evaluation (T&E) professionals, program managers, and developers with a definitive, working-level guide to the Joint Interoperability Test Command’s (JITC) risk-based Test, Evaluation & Certification (TE&C) process.

The Strategic Imperative: “Shifting Left” Adapting to the modern Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF)—including pathways for Software, Urgent Capabilities, and the Middle Tier of Acquisition—requires a decisive “shift left” in our testing posture. Programs can no longer afford late-stage discovery of interoperability failures. By aggressively leveraging digital engineering practices (e.g., labs, modeling and simulation, and digital twins) early in the development lifecycle, we mitigate fielding delays and reduce fiscal waste. Furthermore, this proactive approach forces cybersecurity into the core testing continuum. We are no longer testing under ideal conditions; systems must be proven in realistically contested cyber environments. Developing a holistic, integrated T&E strategy requires fluency in these new concepts. The curriculum focuses on navigating the processes and looks at defining joint interoperability certification requirements.

Crucially, this course guides acquisition professionals through the Joint Interoperability Certification (JIC) processes to secure a JIC. We outline the practical paths to achieving and maintaining this certification, detailing the specific requirements for full certification, conditional certification, and the Interim Certificate to Operate (ICTO). Coalition interoperability & Mission Partner integration joint interoperability is only half the battle. We also address the critical, yet frequently overlooked, strategic imperative of coalition interoperability. By integrating Mission Partner Environments (MPE) and enforcing standards like STANAGs and Federated Mission Networking (FMN), we ensure our systems are ready for combined operations.

Ultimately, this is not a dry policy recitation. It is a practical, actionable framework designed to guarantee joint and coalition interoperability at the speed of modern acquisition.

Tutorial 8 Digital Engineering