8.3.2 A Perspective on System Engineering Under the New US Department of Defense Acquisition Policy

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1689-1704
Author(s):  
C.H. Spenny ◽  
D.R. Jacques
Keyword(s):  
Department Of Defense ◽  
System Engineering ◽  
Defense Acquisition

Does a Rubber Baseline Guarantee Cost Overruns on Defense Acquisition Contracts?

1998 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Christensen ◽  
James A. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Department Of Defense ◽  
Defense Acquisition ◽  
Performance Indices ◽  
Cost Performance ◽  
Cost Overruns ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Defense Contract ◽  
Official Policy ◽  
Contract Type ◽  
The Stability

A common assertion in defense literature is that an unstable budget baseline contributes to cost overruns on defense acquisition contracts. Using cost performance data from over 400 defense acquisition contracts, we tested this assertion. The stability of the baseline was characterized by the number of significant changes to the budget, and by a statistical measure of the baseline's variability, the coefficient of variation. Cost performance was characterized by cost and schedule performance indices. Using 2 statistical methods, we found no significant relationships between baseline instability and cost overruns. Further, these results were insensitive to the managing service, the buying activity, and the contract type. Changes on a defense contract are not compelling rationale for cost overruns. Other possible causal factors should be more closely examined. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense of the U.S. government.

scholarly journals Toward Agent-based Modeling of the U.S. Department of Defense Acquisition System

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Schwenn ◽  
John Colombi ◽  
Teresa Wu ◽  
Kyle Oyama ◽  
Alan Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Department Of Defense ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Acquisition System ◽  
Defense Acquisition ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
The U.S

Obtaining a cross-engineering collaborative environment via transition to a model-based system engineering (MBSE) approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-469
Author(s):  
Jane T Bachman
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Cycle Management ◽  
System Engineering ◽  
Test Plan ◽  
Defense Acquisition ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Test And Evaluation ◽  
Collaborative Environment ◽  
Test Criteria ◽  
Design Documents

The integrated defense acquisition, technology, and logistics (IDAT&L) life cycle management system (LCMS) is currently a document-centric process, i.e., the IDAT&L LCMS process is a document-based approach where engineering strategies, plans, and design documents are manually generated, maintained, and sustained. This approach causes unnecessary time spent on correlating and managing interrelated system documentation. In addition, a change to the system could easily be miscommunicated or not relayed to another engineering group, e.g., test and evaluation. Hence the program experiences delay in the schedule and additional cost occurs due to test plan and execution rework as a result of test criteria not met. This paper addresses benefits of applying a model-based system engineering approach to the IDAT&L LCMS process and how it promotes a cross-engineering collaborative environment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document