1. A current, approved, and sufficiently quantified Mission Need Statement exists.

2. Initial Requirements Document is sufficiently mature to begin the work of an IAT (including definition of operational concepts).

3. Sponsor, IPT, and Architecture representatives authorized to speak for their organizations are identified and available.

4. The nature of the decision to be asked of the JRC is known (e.g., initial investment decision, rebaselining, service life extension).

5. The time frame by which the JRC must make a decision is known and key factors impacting that time frame are understood.

6. Initial inquiry about existing assumptions and constraints applicable to this IA is complete. Definitions of major issues have been addressed.

7. Initial inquiry about existing affordability constraints applicable to satisfying the Mission Need is complete (e.g., Architecture, Mission Need Statement, SEOAT).

8. Initial assessment of scope of IA and resources required (people, money, and time) is complete.

9. Background information, such as previous studies and related documents, is available.

10. Other federal agencies and their interests are identified (preliminary).

11. The interest and role of the user in the IA is defined (preliminary). If the "public" is to participate, the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act have been accommodated.

12. Initial inquiry about the relationship of the approved need to the Architecture is complete.

13. The agenda for the IA kick-off is complete.