Complexity in an Unexpected Place: Quantities in Selected Acquisition Reports
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Making subprograms more appealing would require congressional action, possibly in an annual authorization bill, which seems possible if some way to maintain program cost accountability could be devised. The Congress might be willing to allow the Milestone Decision Authority to designate alternative triggers for programs with subprograms, especially if some of the subprograms involve far fewer dollars than others.
Making subprograms more appealing would require congressional action, possibly in an annual authorization
bill,whichseemspossible if someway tomaintain program cost accountability could be devised. In theory, SAR reporting could be expanded so that each program could report simultaneously on multiple distinct end items without declaring subprograms. The principal distinction between this approach and subprograms would (presumably) be the mechanisms for deciding cost and schedule breaches. As with subprograms, it would be important in implementing this change to avoid creating perverse incentives to PMs. In particular, accurately defning multiple end items should not increase a program’s chances of experiencing an N-M breach. Multiple Programs. If a Service is planning to buy a mix of diferent end items in response to a given set of Mission Needs, it has some fexibil- ity in deciding how to group those eforts into programs. It is not always obvious which grouping would best serve the needs of both the Service and the oversight community. At one (unfortunate) extreme, the Army decided to make Future Combat Systems a single program with literally hundreds of different physical products. These ranged in size and complexity from light tanks down to man-portable UASs, along with many tens of millions of lines of software implementing communications, mission command, and networked fres. The ofcial units for that program were Brigade Sets, of which 15 were to be produced. A prime “lead systems integrator” contract was awarded, with authority to reconsider the mix and capabilities of systems to be developed and procured in each Brigade Set. This ofered no useful insight into the program’s activities or progress.
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Defense ARJ, January 2020, Vol. 27No. 1 : 28-59
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