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SA-15(6) SA · System and Services Acquisition

Continuous Improvement

LOW MODERATE HIGH
1 Overlay 0 Related Controls
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to implement an explicit process to continuously improve the development process.

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Developers of systems, system components, and system services consider the effectiveness and efficiency of their development processes for meeting quality objectives and addressing the security and privacy capabilities in current threat environments.

Implementation Guidance

Engineering Interpretation

Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.

No engineering interpretation has been authored for SA-15(6) yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.

Assessment

NIST SP 800-53A REV 5.2.0

Assessment Objectives

  1. the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to implement an explicit process to continuously improve the development process.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: System and services acquisition policy; system and services acquisition procedures; procedures addressing development process, standards, and tools; solicitation documentation; acquisition documentation; service level agreements; acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service; quality goals and metrics for improving the system development process; security assessments; quality control reviews of system development process; plans of action and milestones for improving the system development process; system security plan; privacy plan; privacy impact assessment; privacy risk assessment documentation; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with system and service acquisition responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security and privacy responsibilities; system developer].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control SA-15 — see the SA-15(6) entries within each baseline below.

OT/ICS Overlay SP 800-82r3

NIST SP 800-82r3 Appendix F, Table 22. Blank baseline means the control/control enhancement is not selected in that initial OT baseline.

LOW

Not applicable at this tier.

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (3)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (3)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SA-15(6). This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.

Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →

Evidence

Potential Evidence — Derived

Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.

Policy

  • System and services acquisition policy
  • system security plan
  • privacy plan

Other Records

  • system and services acquisition procedures
  • procedures addressing development process, standards, and tools
  • solicitation documentation
  • acquisition documentation
  • service level agreements
  • acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service
  • quality goals and metrics for improving the system development process
  • security assessments
  • quality control reviews of system development process
  • plans of action and milestones for improving the system development process
  • privacy impact assessment
  • privacy risk assessment documentation
  • other relevant documents or records