Contractor Testing and the Army Test and Evaluation Master Plan for Full Scale Engineering Development.

摘要

Previous experience in the Materiel Acquisition Process has shown that development of a Master Test Plan for Research and Development poses many challenges. Because of general type guidance in RFP's and general type responses in contract proposals, a bilateral communications problem arises and the test program may or may not satisfy Government requirements. Contractor testing plays a major role in the total test program and results of contractor tests must be utilized by Government evaluators to satisfy independent Government test objectives. If the contractor test program proves inadequate for Government needs, the test program must be modified with minimum impact on cost and schedule. Herein lies the problem. The inherent problems related to developing a Master Plan through the RFP/proposal evaluation/contract initiation process are examined and recommendations for improving the process are offered. (Author)