Military Acquisition and Procurement

Report

How Should the Army Use Contractors on the Battlefield? Assessing Comparative Risk in Sourcing Decisions — Apr 7, 2005

What is the best and most cost-effective way for the Army to use contractors on the battlefield?

• Full Document
• Research Brief
• National Security Research Area

Report

Air Force Service Procurement: Approaches for Measurement and Management — Mar 1, 2005

To assist the Air Force in the process of changing the way it purchases services, this report reviews related commercial sector practices and suggests metrics to track progress and refine services procurement efforts over time.

• Full Document
• Research Brief
• National Security Research Area

Journal Article

Arming Europe — Jan 1, 2005

Examines the consolidation of Europe's defense industry since the end of the Cold War, and the industry's difficulties with U.S. licensing procedures.

• Full Document
• National Security Research Area

Report

Air Force Procurement Workforce Transformation: Lessons from the Commercial Sector — Oct 18, 2004

To assist the Air Force in the process of significantly changing the way it purchases goods and services, this monograph reviews related commercial-sector activities and skills, suggests models for training programs, and includes a framework of metrics to track progress and refine procurement-workforce-development efforts over time.

• Full Document
• Research Brief
• National Security Research Area

Report

Portfolio Analysis and Management for Naval Research and Development — Sep 29, 2004

Describes the adaptation of an R&D portfolio management decision framework developed by RAND to support R&D decisionmaking by the Office of Naval Research.

• Full Document
• National Security Research Area

Commentary

Europe Must Set Its Defence Industry Free — Sep 7, 2004

Published commentary by RAND staff.

• Commentary

Report

Dollar Cost Banding: A New Algorithm for Computing Inventory Levels for Army Supply Support Activities — Sep 2, 2004

Describes the development and implementation of dollar cost banding, a new algorithm for computing inventories maintained by Army supply support activities (SSAs).

• Full Document
• Research Brief
• National Security Research Area

Report

Recent Large Service Acquisitions in the Department of Defense: Lessons for the Office of the Secretary of Defense — Aug 15, 2004

New approaches to the acquisition of services and the related policy issues in which the Office of the Secretary of Defense is likely to become involved

• Full Document
• National Security Research Area

Report

Organizational Concepts for Purchasing and Supply Management Implementation — Aug 11, 2004

This report presents a construct for reorganizing Air Force acquisition and purchasing activities by implementing purchasing and supply management.

• Full Document
• National Security Research Area

Research Brief

Adopting New Procurement Methods in the U.S. Air Force: What Skills and Training are Needed? — Jan 1, 2004

• Research Brief
• Related Report

Research Brief

Privatizing Military Production — Jan 1, 2004

• Research Brief
• Related Report
• Related Report
• National Security Research Area

Report

Military Jet Engine Acquisition: Technology Basics and Cost-Estimating Methodology — Jan 1, 2003

Adds new observations to the cost-estimating database from earlier RAND studies and presents a method for forecasting the development cost, development time, and production cost of future military engine programs

• Full Document
• National Security Research Area

Report

Improving Air Force Purchasing and Supply Management of Spare Parts — Jan 1, 2003

Provides the Air Force with a methodology for evaluating various strategies to improve the procurement of spare parts and applies the methodology to F100 engine parts.

• Full Document
• National Security Research Area

Commentary

Leash the Dogs of War — Feb 20, 2002

Published commentary by RAND staff.

• Commentary

Report

The Royal Navy's New-Generation Type 45 Destroyer: Acquisition Options and Implications — Jan 1, 2002

In 2001, RAND helped the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (MOD) evaluate different acquisition strategies that it might use to acquire the new-generation Type 45 destroyer.

• Full Document
• National Security Research Area

Report

Implementing Best Purchasing and Supply Management Practices: Lessons from Innovative Commercial Firms — Jan 1, 2002

To aid the Air Force in its purchasing and supply management (PSM) efforts, RAND examined how innovative commercial firms implement such practices in their purchases of good and services.

• Full Document
• Research Brief
• National Security Research Area

Report

Assessing the Use of “Other Transactions” Authority for Prototype Projects — Jan 1, 2002

Congress authorized use of Other Transactions (OT) for the development of prototypes directly relevant to weapon systems so that contractors are not required to comply with procurement-specific regulations.

• Full Document
• National Security Research Area

Journal Article

Internet Reverse Auctions: Valuable Tool In Experienced Hands — Jan 1, 2002

Internet Reverse Auctions: Valuable Tool In Experienced Hands

• Full Document

Report

Military Airframe Acquisition Costs: The Effects of Lean Manufacturing — Jan 1, 2001

This report examines the package of new tools and techniques known as lean production to see if it would enable aircraft manufacturers to produce new weapon systems at costs below those predicted by historical cost estimating models.

• Full Document
• Research Brief
• National Security Research Area

Report

Federal Contract Bundling: A Framework for Making and Justifying Decisions for Purchased Services — Jan 1, 2001

The authors of this report discuss recent legislation designed to protect small businesses by ensuring that bundling occurs only when it is likely to generate measurably substantial increases in performance or reductions in cost to the federal buyer.

• Full Document
• Research Brief
• National Security Research Area