From: francis@cs.adelaide.edu.au (Francis Vaughan)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: U.S. black programs
Date: 12 Apr 92 23:38:01 GMT
Reply-To: francis@cs.adelaide.edu.au
Organization: Adelaide Univerity, Computer Science



A couple of years ago I posted this.  Now seems like a good moment to
remind people.

Next to the exhibition featuring the U-2 and SR-71 in the Smithsonian 
Aerospace Museum is a small list of rules.  These are the rules for
the skunk works.  I suspect that we can all learn a little from these.
Some rules are unfortunatly simply not possible for general use.
Rule 3 is perhaps the hardest.  As Fred Brooks observes, we would all
love to work in projects with a handfull of gifted people, rather
than a herd of ordinary ones.  Simple facts of life leave us with the
latter rather than the former.  Rule 14 however, must be one of the
most important, and one of the most overlooked.


						Francis Vaughan






         Basic Operating Rules of the Lockheed Skunk Works.

1. The Skunk Works manager must be delegated practically complete
   control of his program in all aspects. He should report to a
   division president or higher.

2. Strong _but_small_ project offices must be provided both by the
   military and industry.

3. The number of people having any connection with the project must be
   restricted in an almost vicious manner. Use a small number of good
   people (10% to 25% compared to the so-called normal systems.)

4. A very simple drawing and drawing release system with great
   flexibility for making changes must be provided.

5. There must be a minumum number of reports required, but _important_
   work must be recorded thoroughly.

6. There must be a monthly cost review covering not only what has been
   spent and committed but also projected costs to the conclusion of the
   program. Don't have the books ninety days late and don't surprise the 
   customer with sudden overruns.

7. The contractor must be delegated and must assume more then _normal_
   responsibility to get good vendor bids for subcontract work on the
   project. Competitive bid procedures are very often beter than military
   ones.

8. The inspection system currently used by the Advanced Development
   Projects should be used. Push more basic inspection back to the
   vendors. Don't pay for pieces that don't work! Don't duplicate so much
   inspection.

9. The contractor _must_ be delegated the authority to test his final
   product in flight. He can and must test it in the initial stages. If
   he doesn't he rapidly loses his competency to design other vehicles.

10. The specifications applying to the project must be agreed to in
    _advance_ of contracting. Be sure there is mutual understanding in
    this field before proceeding: otherwise it takes a mammoth contracting
    department to unscramble the mess that normally develops.

11. Funding a project must be _timely_ so that the contractor doesn't
    have to keep running to the bank to support government projects.

12. The must be mutual trust between the military project organization
    and the contractor, with very close co-operation and liaison on a day
    to day basis. This cuts down misunderstanding and correspondence to an
    absolute minimum.

13. Access to outsiders to the project and its personnel must be
    strictly controlled by appropriate security measures.

14. Because only a few people will be used in engineering and most
    other areas, ways must be provided to reward good performance by
    _pay_not_based_on_the_number_of_personnel_supervised_.
Newsgroups: sci.space