[Satellite Today 03-09-09] NASA needs to increase the effectiveness of its project management and adopt better practices that focus on closing gaps in knowledge about requirements, technologies, funding, time and other resources before it makes commitments to large-scale programs, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released Mar. 6.
    The report, titled "Projects Need More Disciplined Oversight and Management to Address Key Challenges," assessed 18 projects in NASA’s current portfolio. The GAO argued that in some cases, projects under review spent two to five years and up to $100 million or more before being able to formally set cost and schedule estimates. The GAO also reported that projects in its review had an average delay of 11 months to their launch dates.
    "In responding to our report, NASA asserted that the unique nature of itswork and external factors beyond its control make it difficult to apply thesame criteria that we apply to other major government acquisitions, particularly those with large production runs. We disagree," said Cristina Chaplain, director of acquisition and sourcing management, in a statement to U.S. Congress. "The recent launch failure of [Orbital Science Corp.’s] Orbiting Carbon Observatory is an all-too-grim reminder of how much time, hard work, and resources can be for naught when a space project cannot execute its mission," she said.