NASA: Projects Need More Disciplined Oversight and Management to Address Key Challenges

Abstract

We assessed 18 projects in NASAs current portfolio. Four were in theformulation phase, a time when system concepts and technologies arestill being explored and 14 were in the implementation phase2, wheresystem design is completed, scientific instruments are integrated, and aspacecraft is fabricated. When implementation begins, it is expected thatproject officials know enough about a projects requirements and whatresources are necessary to meet those requirements that they can reliablypredict the cost and schedule necessary to achieve its goals. Reaching thispoint requires investment. In some cases, projects that we reviewed spent2 to 5 years and up to $100 million or more before being able to formallyset cost and schedule estimates.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 05, 2009
Accession Number
AD1180272

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accountability
  • Acquisition
  • Best Practices
  • Business Administration
  • Congress
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Costs
  • Department Of Defense
  • Electronic Mail
  • Engineering
  • Governments
  • House Of Representatives
  • Life Cycle Costs
  • Life Cycles
  • Observatories
  • Personnel Management
  • Procurement
  • Product Development
  • Project Management
  • Space Systems
  • Spacecraft
  • United States Government
  • Websites

Readers

  • Inertial Navigation Systems.
  • Software Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design