GAO: NASA Needs PM Discipline

[ Login/Subscribe ]

Features

Departments

PPM

Tools

Executive

Resources

About Us

Home > Departments > News, Views & Issues

GAO: NASA Needs PM Discipline
(March 11, 2009)

New report from Government Accountability Office identifies problems in five areas that can contribute to project cost and schedule issues.

NASA must increase the effectiveness of its project management and adopt better practices that focus on closing gaps in knowledge about requirements, technologies, funding, time and other resources before it makes commitments to large-scale programs, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released March 6.

The report, titled "Projects Need More Disciplined Oversight and Management to Address Key Challenges," assessed 18 projects in NASA’s current portfolio. The GAO found that, in some cases, projects under review spent two to five years and up to $100 million or more before being able to formally set cost and schedule estimates. The GAO also reported that projects in its review had an average delay of 11 months to their launch dates.

In response to the report, NASA asserted that the unique nature of its work and external factors beyond its control make it difficult to apply the same criteria that are applied to other major government acquisitions, particularly those with large production runs.

Please login/register to read the entire article.

Sponsored Announcements and Special Offers

Project Management Software That Breaks the Mold - Is your team is struggling under the weight of outdated schedules, multiple spreadsheets, and mountains of email? Get organized, get visibility, and save up to 3 hours a day with LiquidPlanner. Scheduling has never been easier with drag-n-drop prioritization that fits the way YOUR team works. Free for 30 days.

Resource Planning Summit, Sept. 19-21, 2010, La Jolla, CA - Resource Planning is HOT today! Opening Keynoter Mike Hanford, Research Director at Gartner, will describe why, and what firms must do about it. Nine industry speakers will describe the startling results they have achieved. If you have anything to do with resource management, register NOW!

ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® is the premier conference for advancing collaboration through practice. The high level content cannot be found at any other industry event because it stretches far beyond the fundamentals to provide leadership, strategy and enterprise wide information - exactly what you need to be more valuable to yourself and your organization.

Are you ready to gain the highest recognition for a BA and apply the best practices defined in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge®? Let us help you prepare for Certified Business Analysis Professional® certification with our CBAP® Exam Prep Course. We also provide CBAP® Application Workshops (free webinars) to help you successfully get approved for the CBAP® application.

Are your Business Analysis Skills Current? Business analysis is not just about IT requirements anymore. Organizations are looking for a new breed of professionals to bridge the business and technology gap with value-centric solutions. Develop the fundamental skills and best practices you need to stay ahead of changes in your field with our business analysis training offerings.

@task
BAM! BA Newsletter
BAMentor
IIL
Keller Graduate School
LiquidPlanner
Management Concepts
Microsoft
PM War Stories
PPM Executive Newsletter
Resource Plan Summit '10
RMC Project Mgmt
Stanford University
Walden University

September 2010:

What are the main reasons that projects fall behind schedule?