AI Requirements for Acceptance
If you cannot test it, you cannot accept it. AI programs need measurable requirements, defined risks, and clear test and validation criteria before the acquisition goes out.
For the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Defense Health Agency (DHA), AI systems must meet performance, security, and fairness thresholds before acquisition.
Many AI efforts focus on capabilities rather than testing. Teams describe what systems should do. They fail to define how success will be measured. Acquisition moves forward without objective acceptance criteria. This creates risk.
AI Requirements Must Be Measurable
AI requirements cannot rely on vague or general language. Goals such as improving outcomes or increasing efficiency do not support acceptance decisions. Every performance claim must include clear, measurable thresholds. Without measurable thresholds, agencies cannot confirm acceptance.
Teams must define acceptable error rates, bias thresholds, and quality standards. They must also define false positive and false negative thresholds and expected performance under real-world conditions. Without defined performance criteria, teams cannot validate systems after delivery.
Risk must also be defined up front. Teams must define how they will test for each identified risk and what evidence will support acceptance.
Contracts must require independent testing that confirms whether defined requirements are met. Results must allow agencies to reproduce and verify performance. This ensures vendors meet defined standards. Requirements must also define how teams will track performance after deployment and which outcomes trigger corrective action. This enables measurable, enforceable testing.
How HITS Builds Acquisition-Ready AI Requirements
HITS provides acquisition-ready AI governance support. We define AI use cases tied to measurable mission outcomes. We build requirements for responsible use, security, and acceptance testing before finalizing acquisition language.
We support acquisition language, evaluation criteria, and post-award governance. We translate mission needs into testable requirements with explicit acceptance criteria. HITS also ensures programs define measurable expectations and clear validation pathways.
This reduces risk, rework, and delays.
Importance of Testing and Accepting the System
AI success depends on being able to test and accept the system. Programs must define what success looks like and how it will be measured. If programs cannot test performance against defined criteria, they cannot accept delivery with confidence.
Ongoing testing and monitoring must remain enforceable throughout the contract lifecycle, not just at award. Measurable requirements, defined risks, and explicit validation criteria protect mission outcomes and acquisition integrity.
HITS helps federal health programs move from AI ambition to acquisition-ready execution.
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