Kathryn Connor

This report investigates the potential software services within the Program Executive Office, Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence that could be used as part of a service-oriented architecture.

Acquisition data and information are the foundation for decisionmaking, management, and oversight of weapon-system acquisition programs. The authors review 21 key acquisition data information systems, their origins and uses, and how acquisition data might be improved. They also summarize background on acquisition data; review commercial practices in data management; and offer findings and recommendations to improve quality, access, and use.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) sought to determine whether any administrative activities paid for with funding that was not congressionally appropriated could be consolidated and, if so, whether consolidation would save costs. A DoD task force listed several areas for improvement, ranging from contracting to information technology. RAND reviewed the work of the task force and assessed specific recommendations."

The report contains two analyses. First, the authors examine the cause of a Nunn-McCurdy unit cost breach of the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System Inc. 1A major defense acquisition program. Second, they document a methodology to assess the performance of an acquisition portfolio. The methodology included identifying objectives, selecting data and metrics, and analyzing visualizations of portfolio performance.

To assess how well current inflation indices and discount rates serve weapon-system program management, this study investigates inflation rates for parts for the Abrams and Bradley ground vehicles. Because even similar systems experience inflation differently, estimating strategies should be reviewed annually to reflect changing costs, and analysis of investments should be expanded to ensure consideration of least-cost outcomes.