A Dictionary of Acquisition and Contracting Terms
Abstract
This thesis is a continuation of research initiated by Lieutenant Commander Daniel F. Ryan, SC, USN to establish a basis for defining words and terms used in the field of contracting. Concurrent research in this area is being conducted by students at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, and the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. The primary research question addressed in this thesis is as follows: To what extent can standard meanings be arrived at in the evolving field of contracting in which words are used with various meanings? As with previous research, the methodology included a literature review and the generation of questionnaires. The 25 terms selected for the study were taken from a master list of contracting terms developed by previous researchers. A synthesized definition was developed for each term using various published sources. The questionnaires were sent to a selected group of contracting professionals, who were asked to indicate agreement or disagreement with the synthesized definitions. If they did not agree with the synthesized definitions, they were asked to provide an explanation and suggestions/recommendations. Finally, they were asked to provide synonyms and antonyms for each of the terms on the questionnaire. Their professionals' comments were used to develop revised definitions based upon consensus. The terms analyzed in this thesis are as follows: Advance Agreement, Advertised Procurement, Affordability, Allowability, Arm's Length Relationship, Authorized Deviations, Consent To Subcontract, Contracting Out (OMB Circular A-76), Final Cost Objective, Full Scale Development, Government Title, Just In Time, Leader/Follower Concept, Limited Authority, Materiel, Off-The-Shelf, Producibility, Profitability, Publicized Procurement, Reasonableness, Restricted Competition, Retroactive Pricing, Source, Total Quality Management, and Underrun.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA260884
Entities
People
- Maher M. Zarou
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School