Air Traffic Control: Immature Software Acquisition Processes Increase FAA System Acquisition Risks

Details

• Corporate Creators:
  United States. General Accounting Office
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Air traffic control facilities
  • Software
  • Modernization
  • Project management
  • Cost control
  • Risk management
  • Integrated systems
  • Computer architecture
  • Key Processing Areas (KPAs)
  • Management controls
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  GAO/AIMD-97-047
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.21949/1402723
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• TRIS Online Accession Number:
  00736865
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. General Accounting Office
• Abstract:
  The General Accounting Office (GAO) at the request of Congress reviewed (1) the maturity of Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Air Traffic Control (ATC) modernization software acquisition processes, and (2) the steps/actions FAA has underway or planned to improve these processes, including any obstacles that may impede FAA's progress. The GAO found FAA's ATC modernization software acquisition processes to be ad hoc and sometimes chaotic, and not repeatable even on a project-by-project basis. As a result, FAA's success or failure in acquiring ATC software depends largely on specific individuals, rather than on well-defined and disciplined software acquisition management practices. This greatly reduces the probability that software-intense ATC modernization projects will consistently perform as intended and be delivered on schedule and within budget. This GAO report to Congress contains recommendations for improvement and the FAA's rebuttal of the criticism contained herein.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/12536/dot_12536_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 697.10 KB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:c081db77e0f03ab27068de7b072300068cc7eb6459e30d90e5bc9106dc9af64e