Keith’s note: according to a new GAO report on NASA “Priority Open Recommendations“: “Dear Acting Administrator Duffy: The purpose of this letter is to call your personal attention to two areas based on GAO’s past work and three open priority recommendations, which are enclosed. Additionally, there are 45 other GAO open recommendations that we will continue to work with your staff to address. We are highlighting the following areas that warrant your timely and focused attention. Specifically: [More below]
Monitoring Program Costs and Execution. NASA needs to continue making progress on reducing acquisition risk and improving project cost and schedule performance for its most expensive and complex projects. We have been monitoring NASA Acquisition Management as a high-risk area since 1990. NASA has implemented efforts to improve the oversight and transparency of its major projects’ costs and schedules, including the long-term costs of human space exploration programs.
However, NASA continues to face challenges controlling cost growth and schedule delays for its category 1 projects, which are those that exceed $2 billion in life-cycle costs. Category 1 projects have an outsized effect on NASA’s portfolio if they experience cost and schedule growth. These include projects needed to conduct the Artemis missions that will return astronauts to the moon, build a sustainable lunar presence, and ultimately bring humans to Mars.
NASA also needs to improve transparency into Artemis mission and program costs. Specifically, NASA has not taken steps to create a life-cycle cost estimate for the Artemis III mission, as we recommended in December 2019.2 This is important as NASA plans for this mission to return U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon in 2027. A life-cycle cost estimate for this mission could provide transparency into the cost of the programs necessary to execute the mission.
In September 2023, we reiterated the importance of our recommendation that NASA develop a life-cycle cost estimate for the Space Launch System (SLS) Block I rocket for missions beyond Artemis I. A life-cycle cost estimate for SLS Block I would provide Congress with insight into the program’s affordability and facilitate investment decisions. Taking these actions will better position NASA as it plans to invest billions of dollars in the coming years in programs to support human spaceflight and exploration.
Using Federal Contracting Metrics. We found that the use of outcome-oriented performance metrics to manage procurement helps organizations determine whether they are achieving desired outcomes, such as reducing costs and improving performance.3 In July 2021, we recommended that NASA use a balanced set of performance metrics to manage the agency’s procurement. Using such metrics to manage the agency’s procurement organizations would position NASA to make more informed management decisions and potentially save millions of dollars.
Please see Enclosure 1 for additional details about the status and actions needed to fully implement the three open priority recommendations out of the 48 total recommendations that remain open.
We also provide in Enclosure 2 additional information on NASA’s recommendation implementation rate and implemented, closed, and new priority recommendations since our June 2024 letter to Administrator Nelson; NASA information relevant to our audit of the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government; and relevant management challenges from our high-risk list that apply to NASA. In response to legislation enacted in December 2022, this enclosure also includes information on any additional congressional oversight actions that can help agencies implement priority recommendations and address any underlying issues relating to such implementation.4
Copies of this letter are being sent to the appropriate congressional committees. The letter will also be available on the GAO website at Priority Recommendations | U.S. GAO. We also plan to send a separate letter specifically focused on open recommendations and key issues related to information technology. This letter will be sent to your Chief Information Officer.
Full report: Priority Open Recommendations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration