A Concept of Operations (CONOPS) is a user-oriented document that describes a system's characteristics from an operational perspective. Its primary purpose is to communicate the quantitative and qualitative aspects of a system to all stakeholders (users, buyers, developers, etc.). It details the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" of the system's operation, ensuring a shared understanding of the system's goals, environment, and high-level capabilities before significant engineering effort is expended. This makes it the ideal document for the task described.

A. IMM: An Integrated Master Plan (IMM) is a high-level project management tool focused on significant program events and milestones, not the system's operational characteristics.

C. IPP: An Integrated Program Plan (IPP) is a detailed management plan for program execution, covering aspects like resources and schedules, not the system's functional and operational view.

D. System Security Context: This document is specifically focused on defining the security environment, threats, and objectives, which is only a subset of the overall system characteristics.

1. IEEE Std 1362-1998

IEEE Guide for Information Technology - System Definition - Concept of Operations (ConOps) Document. Section 1.1

"Scope

" states the CONOPS document is used to "communicate overall quantitative and qualitative system characteristics to the user

buyer

developer

and other organizational elements."

2. NIST Special Publication 800-160 Vol. 1

Systems Security Engineering: Considerations for a Multidisciplinary Approach in the Engineering of Trustworthy Secure Systems. Section 2.3.2.1

"Define Stakeholder Needs and Requirements

" describes the Concept of Operations as a key input that defines the system from the user's viewpoint and clarifies the mission and operational environment for all stakeholders.

3. MIT OpenCourseWare

16.842 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering

Fall 2015. Lecture 5

"Stakeholder Needs Definition

" presents the CONOPS as a foundational document that describes the system in its operational environment

serving as a critical communication tool among all stakeholders.