The Influence of Contract Type in Program Execution/V-22 OSPREY. A Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to look at the impact of a fixed price type contract on program execution of a major weapon system. The full scale development phase of the V-22 Osprey program was used as a case study. The focus of this thesis was to determine the affects of this contract type and identify the actions program management took to address it's influences. The predominant conclusion brought out by this research was that based on the political, historical, and economic circumstances of the period, the fixed price incentive fee contract was the best contractual instrument for the government to use. The major recommendations are: in future contracts, ensure an appropriate spread between ceiling and target price in order to adequately incentivize the contractor; in teaming arrangements, employ incentives to guarantee the appropriate transfer of technical information; and incentivize comprehensive production plans and Production Readiness Reviews. Keywords: V-22 Osprey program, Fixed price contracts, Program execution.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1989
Accession Number
ADA220011

Entities

People

  • Danny R. Smith

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Composite Materials
  • Congress
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Department Of Defense
  • Fixed Price Contracts
  • Governments
  • Procurement
  • Program Management
  • Short Takeoff Aircraft
  • Systems Management
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Tilt Rotor Aircraft

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies