United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-03-08 monographic deposited born digital 80 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-288 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-288 P0b002ee180399894 f:d01288 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-288 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-288 GAO-01-288 Weapons systems Defense cost control Weapons research and development Defense procurement Private sector practices Concurrency Procurement planning Defense capabilities Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Army Crusader System Joint Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle DOD Radio Frequency Countermeasures System Brilliant Anti-Armor Submunition Army Tactical Missile System Multiple Launch Rocket System F-15 Aircraft B-1 Aircraft DOD Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration Program F/A-18E/F Aircraft F/A-18 Aircraft Joint Strike Fighter U-2 Aircraft Chapter Report This report examines how best practices offer improvements to the way the Department of Defense defines and matches weapon system requirements to available resources such as cost, schedule, and mature technologies. GAO identified three factors that were key to matching needs and resources before product development began. First, developers employed the technique of systems engineering to identify gaps between resources and customer needs before committing to a new product development. Second, customers and developers were flexible. Leeway existed to reduce or defer customer needs to future programs or for the developer to make an investment to increase knowledge about a technology or design feature before beginning product development. Third, the roles and responsibilities of the customer and the product developer were matched, with the product developer being able to determine or significantly influence product requirements. In cases where these factors were not present at program launch, product development began without a match between requirements and resources. Invariably, this imbalance favored meeting customer needs by adding resources, which resulted in increased costs and later deliveries. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-288/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-288.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-288/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-288.pdf GAO-01-288 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-288 Chapter Report GAO-01-288; Best Practices: Better Matching of Needs and Resources; Weapons systems Defense cost control Weapons research and development Defense procurement Private sector practices Concurrency Procurement planning Defense capabilities Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Army Crusader System Joint Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle DOD Radio Frequency Countermeasures System Brilliant Anti-Armor Submunition Army Tactical Missile System Multiple Launch Rocket System F-15 Aircraft B-1 Aircraft DOD Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration Program F/A-18E/F Aircraft F/A-18 Aircraft Joint Strike Fighter U-2 Aircraft