A Longitudinal Study and Color Rating System of Acquisition Cost Growth

Abstract

For decades, cost growth studies have been plentiful surrounding Department of Defense acquisitions. Many different angles have been looked at to try and discover how to better estimate cost, what causes cost growth, and how to mitigate it. This research addresses this through examining cost growth from a longitudinal perspective, evaluating cost growth factors at major program reviews, and assessing the cost growth by applying color rating metrics. The results of this analysis show that breaking cost growth into longitudinal segments of a programs lifecycle allows the true behavior of cost growth to be seen, when it can often be masked in the traditional approach of evaluating lifecycle cost growth. Additionally, when applying the proposed color rating system to cost growth factors, significant variables are found to have dependencies with cost growth factor color ratings. Significant relationships shown in the results were most commonly like-color predictor and response variables. Additionally DT and E is shown as a flag for high cost growth issues during a program lifecycle.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 23, 2017
Accession Number
AD1051625

Entities

People

  • Cory N. Damico

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Cost Analysis
  • Cost Estimates
  • Databases
  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Growth Factors
  • Information Retrieval
  • Literature Surveys
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Acquisition
  • Procurement
  • Test And Evaluation
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Materials Science (Mechanical Engineering).
  • Naval Personnel Management