Government Case: Managing the Acquisition of a Large Defense Project

This chapter discusses the actions required to determine why a contractor is behind schedule and performing badly and then to do something about it. It discusses the government side of acquisitions. There are many issues on this side that are misunderstood by the general public and normally not discussed. There are many other players, such as those from the Defense Contracts Management Command (DCMC) and Defense Contracts Audit Agency (DCAA), that have impact on the acquisition, some of which are outside the control of the Program Management Office (PMO). The chapter also hints at the many intrigues that often occur on the government side of major acquisitions as captive contractors, such as those involved in Independent Verification Validation (IVV), Federally Funded Research Development Center (FFRDC), and Systems Engineering Technical Assistance (SETA), play their games aimed at increasing their staff and influence on projects.