United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-08-18 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:NSIAD-94-179 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-179 P0b002ee180391282 f:ns94179 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-179 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-179 NSIAD-94-179 Federal procurement Contract administration Aerospace contracts Contract modifications Contract costs Contractor performance Work measurement standards Small business contractors Human resources training Contractor responsibility Chapter Report NSIAD In recent years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has experienced a variety of development and performance problems with expensive space hardware. These problems have been a primary impetus behind the mounting Congressional pressures for NASA to improve its procurement practices. NASA has partly or fully implemented all but one of the eight key procurement management improvement initiatives it was working on in June 1993. Some were developed slowly and implemented quickly or achieved goals ahead of schedule. GAO questions whether some of the initiatives will be fully effective as a result of planning and implementation problems. Specifically, (1) the proposed contractors' liability policy will be hard to administer, may produce higher contract prices, and could harm subcontractors who are unwilling or unable to risk increased liability; (2) the potential effect of the proposed contractor liability policy on small and disadvantaged businesses has not been evaluated; and (3) the policy guidance for the training of contracting officers' technical representatives is incomplete. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-179/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-179.htm GAO/NSIAD-94-179 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-179 Chapter Report GAO/NSIAD-94-179; NASA Procurement: Challenges Remain in Implementing Improvement Reforms; Federal procurement Contract administration Aerospace contracts Contract modifications Contract costs Contractor performance Work measurement standards Small business contractors Human resources training Contractor responsibility Public Law 102-588