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Air Force Institute of Technology

Theses/Dissertations

United States. Dept. of Defense--Procurement

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Full-Text Articles in Law

The Impact Of Economic Factors And Acquisition Reforms On The Cost Of Defense Weapon Systems, James P. Smirnoff Mar 2006

The Impact Of Economic Factors And Acquisition Reforms On The Cost Of Defense Weapon Systems, James P. Smirnoff

Theses and Dissertations

Cost overruns in weapon system purchases have plagued the Department of Defense (DoD) throughout its history and have resulted in schedule delays and potentially reduced combat capability. This thesis created an empirical model that begins to explain those cost overruns. The model describes how changes in defense budgets, consolidation of the defense industry, acquisition reform, war, and cost estimating error are related to cost overruns. The cost performance of 186 major weapon system programs managed by the Air Force, Army, and Navy from 1970 to 2002 was described using a panel regression model. This research found that funding instability resulting …


A Study Of The Impact Of Acquisition Reforms On Pre-Award Solicitations, Jason J. Bock Sep 1996

A Study Of The Impact Of Acquisition Reforms On Pre-Award Solicitations, Jason J. Bock

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop insights into the impact acquisition reforms have had on pre-award solicitations. The changing nature of the marketplace and the reduction in the size of the defense budget has brought about a series of sweeping acquisition changes that include the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) and Lighting Bolt initiatives. A qualitative analysis of six cases and interviews of people actively involved in the solicitation process revealed acquisition reform benefits: increased performance, cost savings, and reduced acquisition time. These benefits were achieved through the use of performance-based contracting and adaptation of several commercial business …


An Investigation Of Problems In Analyzing Prices Of State-Of-The-Art Commercial Items, Vicki A. Fry Sep 1995

An Investigation Of Problems In Analyzing Prices Of State-Of-The-Art Commercial Items, Vicki A. Fry

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored whether techniques described in the Armed Services Pricing Manual are sufficient for evaluating prices of leading-edge and modified commercial items. The research was sparked by the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act Of 1994, which encourages contracting officers to rely on information other than certified cost or pricing data when buying commercial products. Pricing techniques used in five recent acquisitions were investigated through a case-study methodology. The research concludes that current guidance is sufficiently broad to enable the contracting officer to tailor the tools to an acquisition at hand. Research findings, however, indicate that the Department of Defense should …