Program Characteristics That Contribute to Cost Growth
Abstract
The RAND Corporation recently analyzed key characteristics of six U.S. Air Force Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) that experienced extreme cost growth. The findings of this research were derived from detailed case studies and analysis of Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) data. As a companion to that analysis, this report identifies and characterizes conditions present in four other recent Air Force MDAPs that experienced the lowest cost growth among all recent ACAT I MDAPs. This research was commissioned by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. The purpose of this report is to compare and contrast the key attributes of programs with extreme cost growth to those of programs with low cost growth to gain insights into the key cost drivers and root causes of cost growth in MDAPs. This document provides the analysis of the best-performing programs as a control set to help determine whether the attributes common to the worst-performing programs are likely the main drivers behind extreme cost growth. More confident identification of program characteristics that contribute to cost growth can enable such factors to either be avoided or mitigated in early program planning. This is ultimately intended to provide the foundation for analysis that will assist the Air Force in developing improved acquisition policies and procedures. Those will contribute to better program outcomes in the areas of cost, schedule, and performance and help reduce the likelihood of future programs experiencing extreme cost growth.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1085354
Entities
People
- Karishma R. Mehta
- Leslie A. Payne
- Mark A. Lorell
Organizations
- RAND Corporation