NASA's Resource Data Base and Techniques for Supporting, Planning, and Controlling Programs Need Improvement

Data compiled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on its resources and management techniques for supporting, planning, and controlling research and development programs omitted some resources and did not identify others with the projects they benefited.

The database of resources available in fiscal year 1976 for carrying out its research and development programs excluded about 36 percent of the NASA appropriated funds, 7 percent of its personnel, and 72 percent of its real and personal property. Subcommittee staff members and NASA agreed to exclude some resources, but others were excluded due to inadvertent omissions, a NASA belief that the subcommittee did not want certain resources included the agency's definition of research and development costs, differing interpretations by NASA centers of its headquarters' instructions for compiling the data, and the fact that NASA said it regularly reports certain resource data to Congress. There were no major problems with NASA internal guidelines for program planning and control of resources.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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