WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — NASA has continued to implement improved project management tools to manage acquisition risks, the GAO noted.
But these efforts have not always been consistent with best practices in areas such as cost estimating or fully addressed GAO's prior recommendations, the GAO cautioned.
"Although NASA’s overall performance has improved, for eight out of the last nine years at least one major project has experienced significant cost or schedule growth," the report stated on Wednesday.
Cost increases and schedule delays often occur as projects prepare to begin system assembly, integration, and test, the GAO pointed out.
"[N]ine projects will be in that phase of development in 2016, including the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System, which are human spaceflight programs that have significant development risks."
