Gap Analysis of Higher-Level Contract Quality Requirements for Maintenance at the U.S. Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System in Romania

Abstract

Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) relies on foreign-based contractors to perform maintenance for the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System (AAMDS) in Romania. This maintenance adheres to the Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual (JFMM) and requires higher-level contract quality requirements for an approved Quality Management System (QMS) and process-specific procedures. This research conducts a gap analysis to determine where the foreign-based contractors’ QMS and process-specific procedures fall short of the JFMM requirements. This research analyzes the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) contract files for fiscal years 2017 through 2022 to compare the technical evaluation rating of each proposal to the evaluation factors used to determine the technical acceptability of offerors’ proposals. This research identifies the higher-level contract quality requirements that are not being met in the source selection process, explains how contracts are awarded when there are no technically acceptable proposals, and describes the implications of these findings. This research concludes with recommendations to assist these foreign-based contractors in improving their proposals to reflect a qualified QMS and process-specific procedures and thus be rated technically acceptable and eligible for a contract.