Chapter 3
Government and Defense Context
3.1 Introduction
This chapter focuses on the economics of human systems integration (HSI) within public–private enterprises that acquire and operate complex systems. In this context, HSI can be viewed from two perspectives. First and more traditionally, HSI addresses the effectiveness of human performance in the systems developed by these public–private enterprises (e.g., aircraft or other vehicles). However, HSI also addresses the effectiveness of human performance, primarily decision making, in the enterprise “system” itself. Here, humans interact with enterprise system elements, including business processes, information systems, and networks of quasi-independent organizations that collaborate (and sometimes compete) in the public–private enterprise. In both cases, effectiveness is judged by numerous, sometimes conflicting metrics, including cost, schedule, and performance. The range of enterprises of interest includes the Department of Defense (DoD), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and many more. We focus in particular on the DoD, although many of our observations pertain to the FAA, NASA, and other agencies.
As is later recounted, the possibility of transforming public-sector acquisition of complex systems has received decades of attention and investment, with minimal success. Charette (2008) reviewed a range of troubled acquisition programs ...
