Which phase would likely not involve the Critical Design Review?

The Critical Design Review (CDR) is a significant milestone in the program management lifecycle that typically occurs during the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. This review assesses whether the design of the system is ready to proceed into the production phase and whether it meets performance requirements and specifications.

In the Concept Development Phase, the primary focus is on establishing the feasibility of the system concept and defining its preliminary design. This phase generally involves concept exploration, trade studies, and the development of initial design requirements. Since the CDR is specifically geared towards evaluating detailed designs and confirming that they can be adequately manufactured and produced, it is not relevant during the earlier Concept Development Phase. Thus, while the other phases—System Development, EMD, and Production and Deployment—interact closely with the critical design elements, the Concept Development Phase does not typically involve these detailed design reviews, making it the correct choice.