Author

Eric J. Unger

Date of Award

3-2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

Mark A. Gallagher, PhD

Abstract

Previous research on completed defense R&D shows that contract expenditures can be fit well with a Rayleigh model. With fixed outlay rates, as prescribed by the OSD comptroller, the budget profile must have most of the funds in the early years to produce Rayleigh-distributed expenditures. R&D programs with more delayed funding profiles may also produce expenditures that a Rayleigh model fits through schedule slips and cost overruns. This research tests how well the initial funding profile produces Rayleigh-distributed expenditures that can be related to the program's final cost overrun and schedule slips. Based only on the initial budget profile, we explain 53.3% of cost overruns and 51.1% of percent schedule slip in 37 completed programs.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GAQ-ENS-01M-03

DTIC Accession Number

ADA390987

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