Finally, we are now seeing procurement experts suggesting that cost be made a formal requirement on major procurement programs, the technical term is Key Performance Parameter (KPP), to which I would add schedule.

Among other things, this would mean that going over budget at all would be grounds for termination for cause (no money) as opposed to a termination for convenience (cost plus).

I would in fact suggest that cost and schedule be made “super-requirements,” and that other requirements would be subordinate to them.

What this would mean is that we would not procure immature technologies, and that the costs would be known at the start of a program, which would prevent the 20+ year F-22/JSF type hideously expensive procurement debacles.