The impact of WSARA on the cost of air force weapon systems
| Pages | 2-14 |
| Date | 04 March 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-03-2019-022 |
| Published date | 04 March 2019 |
| Author | Jonathan D. Ritschel,Brandon Lucas,Edward White,Danielle Mrla |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management,Politics,Public adminstration & management,Government,Economics,Public finance/economics,Taxation/public revenue |
The impact of WSARA on the cost
of air force weapon systems
Jonathan D. Ritschel,Brandon Lucas and Edward White
Air Force Institute of Technology,Wright-Patterson Air ForceBase, Ohio, USA, and
Danielle Mrla
Air Force Cost Analysis Agency, Bolling Air Force Base, District of Columbia, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act (WSARA) was enacted in 2009 to improve
Departmentof Defense public procurement processes and limit cost overrunsin major acquisition programs.
Design/methodology/approach –Seven years later, the authors investigatethe effects of WSARA on
cost overruns for major Air Force acquisition programs and then conduct an exploratory case study
specificallytargeting WSARA impacts on the Operations and Support phase of a program’s lifecycle.
Findings –The authors find that while there are some positiveimpacts on cost overruns in limited areas,
the majority of the models demonstrateeither no statistically significant effect from WSARAor an increase in
cost overrunspost implementation.
Originality/value –These findings are consistent with much of the literature on the historical
ineffectivenessof previous acquisition reforms to ameliorate cost overruns.
Keywords Cost, Air force weapon systems, WSARA
Paper type Research paper
Acronyms
ACWP = Actual cost of work performed;
AFTOC = Air Force total ownership cost;
AIC = Akaike information criterion;
BCWP = Budgeted cost of work performed;
CAPE = Cost assessment and program evaluation;
CPR = Contractor performance reports;
CPRFH = Cost per REMIS flying hour;
DAES = Defense acquisition executive summary;
DAWIA = Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act;
DoD = Department of Defense;
EVM = Earned value management;
FASA = Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act;
JROC = Joint Requirements Oversight Council;
MDAP = Major defense acquisition system;
O&S = Operations and support;
REMIS = Reliability and maintainability information system; and
WSARA = Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act.
Introduction
Arguably one of the most complex business organizations in the world, the Department of
Defense (DoD) relies on program cost estimates as the basis for funding Major Defense
Acquisition Programs (MDAP). The current MDAP portfolio consists of 78 programs
JOPP
19,1
2
Journalof Public Procurement
Vol.19 No. 1, 2019
pp. 2-14
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1535-0118
DOI 10.1108/JOPP-03-2019-022
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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