Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76, which is designed to encourage use of private firms to provide services to the government whenever feasible, has had a major effect on the organization and management of U.S. Air Force vehicle maintenance. Through interviews and examination of administrative data for seven bases, the authors concluded that the limited available evidence suggests that application of A-76 leads to substantial cost savings with no clear effect on quality. Problems in implementing Circular A-76 are also discussed.
