Linking acquisition strategy to contract performance over the product life cycle

This paper draws attention to challenges facing NASA in the new environment of performance based contracting. Unless NASA fully understands the marketplace, industrial policy and competitive game structure of this new environment it may be open to accepting unintended consequences of contract choices. Creating bilateral relationships between NASA and its contractors is essential to safeguarding scarce resources and ensuring their efficient and effective use on behalf of the American taxpayer. The paper compares acquisition sustainment models from NASA Space Shuttle, DoD, and the commercial product world.