Test and Evaluation Management Reform: Issues and Options

Abstract

Can a change in the management structure of the Department of Defense's test and evaluation infrastructure make it more cost-effective and efficient while retaining the responsiveness and the weapons quality of the present system? The Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition process and its test and evaluation (T&E) subprocess produce the world's finest weapon systems, and it retains a reputation for responsiveness to military needs and acquisition of quality weapon systems and other items. Yet the constant pursuit of greater cost-effectiveness and efficiency leads to questions and analyses of whether a different management structure such as a single DoD T&E organization would better accomplish these needs and goals. To properly consider this question, the author focuses on the infrastructure and management that supports the T&E process rather than on the T&E process itself, which consists of the planning, provisioning, and conducting of tests together with the analysis and reporting of data resulting from those tests. Eight options for restructuring the T&E infrastructure management are discussed, including leaving the current system in place; combining each Service's T&E organizations into a single Service organization that would report to a Service T&E component commander; creating a continental United States (CONUS) Range Command structure; realigning the funding to a centralized funding line for justification, appropriation, and distribution; establishing a Defense T&E Command (DTEC) under the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA); consolidating all T&E infrastructure under the management control of a DoD T&E agency (DTEA); establishing a Defense Acquisition Agency (DAA) that would combine all of the acquisition functions within each of the Services under a single DoD agency; and establishing a government corporation that would be a semigovernmental entity chartered by the government to manage and provide T&E services.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADA487928

Entities

People

  • James D. Love

Organizations

  • Air Armament Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Aircrafts
  • Base Closures
  • Business Administration
  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Military Acquisition
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Procurement
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Facilities
  • United States
  • Weapon Systems

Readers

  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management