Speech #910077227

I suggested to the Comptroller General of the United States. Mr. Elmer Staats. that he and his staff evaluate parallel undocumented development as a method of procurement. I am pleased to report to the Senate that the Comptroller and his staff made a most thorough investigation. More than 80 persons were interviewed in the Department of Defense. including the military services. the Bureau of the Budget. NASA. the Office of Science and Technology. at a considerable number of military contractors and universities and at the Rand Corp. In an Antitrust Subcommittee hearing on July 14. 1969. the Comptroller General presented his report to the Congress. "Evaluation of Two Proposed Methods for Enhancing Competition in Weapons Systems Procurement". In his report. the Comptroller General described parallel undocumented development as having three elements: First. it requires competitive engagement to be sustained through further. more substantive stages of development. second. contractor selection would be based on demonstrated performance of hardware. and third. most Governmentpurposed documentation would be deferred until the winning contractor is selected. To understand this proposal. one must be aware that. at present. most new weapons systems are taken through two phasesconcept formulation and contract definition. These are work frames designed to be logical networks of planning events.