A lack of disciplined cost-estimating processes has
hindered effective program management at the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the General
Accounting Office has said, following a spate of wide
praise for NASA management in general.
It said NASA contract management is a decade-old concern
because of its inability to collect, maintain and report
the full cost of its programs and projects, something
that translates to cost growth.
After analyzing 27 programs — 10 of them in detail — GAO
found development cost estimates for more than half of
the 27 programs increased by as much as 94 percent.
Cost estimates increased for eight of the 10 programs GAO
looked at in detail, and although NASA cited specific
reasons for the changes, estimate fluctuation suggests
the programs lacked the knowledge to establish priorities,
quantify risks, make informed decisions, and ultimately
to predict costs, said GAO.
It said none of the programs defined the life cycles
clearly enough to establish commitment and manage program
costs — and just three programs provided a breakdown of
the work to be performed.
