16 • Program Management in Defense and High Tech Environments
A research-oriented type of program also brings the risk of cost over-
runs. Because the results of the work are hard to quantify or may not even
be achievable, very oen this will be a “cost-plus” or “time and material”
(T&M) program. ese types of programs are characterized by the cus-
tomer paying for all the costs incurred on the program. But this type of
program is by no means a “blank check.” In fact, the customer is likely
to provide more scrutiny toward the money being well spent since there
are less-denitive objectives. is type of contract will oen be written
with deliverables such as reports or presentations. Consider, for example, a
simple program with a single report ...