Which responsibility is typically held by program managers in an acquisition program to control the 'build to' or product baseline?

Which responsibility is typically held by program managers in an acquisition program to control the 'build to' or product baseline?

• A. Change Control Board
• B. Systems Engineering
• C. Product Baseline Control
• D. Requirements Management

Answer: (C)

Controlling the product baseline means keeping the officially approved configuration of the system that will be produced. The build-to baseline defines what the manufacturing process is intended to produce, while the product baseline is the formal, approved configuration that all work must conform to. The program manager bears the responsibility of maintaining these baselines, ensuring changes are properly controlled through configuration management and baselining decisions, so the product remains traceable to requirements and design as it moves toward production. While a Change Control Board is the mechanism that approves changes, the program manager is the one who oversees baseline integrity and ensures any changes to the product baseline go through the formal process. Systems Engineering and Requirements Management are essential functions—designing the system and maintaining requirements traceability—but they are not the activity specifically tasked with maintaining and controlling the baselines themselves.

Controlling the product baseline means keeping the officially approved configuration of the system that will be produced. The build-to baseline defines what the manufacturing process is intended to produce, while the product baseline is the formal, approved configuration that all work must conform to. The program manager bears the responsibility of maintaining these baselines, ensuring changes are properly controlled through configuration management and baselining decisions, so the product remains traceable to requirements and design as it moves toward production.

While a Change Control Board is the mechanism that approves changes, the program manager is the one who oversees baseline integrity and ensures any changes to the product baseline go through the formal process. Systems Engineering and Requirements Management are essential functions—designing the system and maintaining requirements traceability—but they are not the activity specifically tasked with maintaining and controlling the baselines themselves.