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Category Archives: Quick Look
NASA Celebrates Moon Landing 50th Anniversary
Fifty years ago this Saturday, humankind took a giant leap as NASA astronauts took their first small steps on the Moon. In today’s WatchBlog, we discuss some of NASA’s recent advancements since that giant leap, as well as findings from … Continue reading
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July 18, 2019
Tagged acquisition management, acquisitions, astronauts, Boeing, CNSA, Commercial Crew program, contractor oversight, Crew Dragon, Cristina Chaplain, high risk list, human spaceflight, International Space Station, ISS, Mars, moon landing, NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Orion, Parker Solar Probe, quick look, SLS, Space Launch System, space travel, Space X
Troubling Trends in DOD’s Weapon Programs
The Department of Defense’s 82 largest complex programs cost an estimated $1.69 trillion. We annually assess how DOD is managing and overseeing these major acquisition programs in our “Quick Look” reports. In today’s WatchBlog, we discuss some of our observations … Continue reading
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July 11, 2019
Tagged acquisition, acquisition management, acquisition planning, acquisition reform, acquisitions, Air Force, Army, best practices, CNSA, competitive bids, contracts, Department of Defense, DOD, F-35, federal contracts, government contracting, knowledge-based best practices, major weapon systems, Navy, quick look, Shelby Oakley, Virginia Class Submarine, weapon acquisitions, weapon programs, weapon systems
Our Annual “Quick Look” at Homeland Security’s Major Acquisitions
To help it carry out its many missions, which include preventing terrorism and managing U.S. borders, the Department of Homeland Security makes major purchases like ships, air passenger screening equipment, and IT. In fact, DHS estimates it will invest more … Continue reading
Are Acquisition Reforms Leading to Better Outcomes at DOD?
Over the past two decades, we’ve issued annual “Quick Looks” at the Department of Defense’s largest and most expensive acquisition programs. Our work continued this year with a review of DOD’s 86 major weapons programs, which totaled more than $1.66 … Continue reading
After Showing Improvement, Trends for NASA’s Major Projects Slip Back
Every year, we look at NASA’s major projects to see how well they’re making progress against their cost and schedule goals—which we call our “Quick Look” review. This year, these projects included a satellite that will study polar ice sheets, … Continue reading
The Troubled Voyage of Navy Shipbuilding
In 2007, the Navy embarked on a plan for a 330-ship fleet by 2018. Congress supported this plan, appropriating $24 billion more than the Navy’s budget request of $182 billion. Things have not gone according to plan. Today, the Navy … Continue reading
A “Quick Look” at DOD, NASA, and DHS Acquisitions
For the past 15 years, we’ve been reviewing the federal government’s largest acquisition programs in our “Quick Looks”—and our latest reports featured the Department of Defense, NASA, and the Department of Homeland Security. While each agency serves a different mission, … Continue reading
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July 13, 2017
Tagged acquisitions, airport screening, ASM, Coast Guard, contracting, Cristina Chaplin, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, DOD, Exploration Ground Systems, major weapon systems, Marie Mak, Mike Sullivan, NASA, Orion Crew Vehicle, quick looks, Space Launch System, TSA
Trends in Federal Contracting
In fiscal year 2015, the federal government spent more than $430 billion on contracts for goods and services—almost 40 percent of all discretionary spending. These contracts covered everything from products such as major weapons systems and IT equipment, to services … Continue reading
Podcast Roundup – Recent Podcasts You May Have Missed
It’s been a busy spring for podcasting! If you’re not subscribed on iTunes or our RSS feed, you may be missing out. Today’s WatchBlog catches you up on some of our recent podcasts.
Our 2016 “Quick Looks” at DOD, NASA, and DHS
Every year, we review the federal government’s priciest and therefore riskiest acquisition programs through our “Quick Looks.” The 3 agencies we focus on are the Department of Defense, NASA, and Department of Homeland Security. While these agencies have very different … Continue reading
