Reviews a number of issues related to the federal government's research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) infrastructure. This report (1) examines the condition of existing infrastructure, (2) analyzes the approaches used by organizations outside of the federal government to realign RDT&E infrastructure, and (3) compares those approaches to federal agency efforts. This approach, if implemented fully by federal agencies, could help focus agencies' efforts in research and development, reduce unneeded infrastructure governmentwide, and free up resources necessary for scientific programs and related equipment. Charts and tables.

This report, in laying out a framework within which changes to the federal RDT&E infrastructure can be accomplished and around which debate about the need for those changes can occur, (1) examines the condition of existing infrastructure, (2) analyzes the approaches used by organizations outside of the federal government to realign RDT&E infrastructure, and (3) compares those approaches to federal agency efforts. This approach, if implemented fully by federal agencies, could help focus agencies' efforts in research and development, reduce unneeded infrastructure governmentwide, and free up resources necessary for scientific programs and related equipment.

This report, in laying out a framework within which changes to the federal RDT & E infrastructure can be accomplished and around which debate about the need for those changes can occur, (1) examines the condition of existing infrastructure, (2) analyzes the approaches used by organizations outside of the federal government to realign RDT & E infrastructure, and (3) compares those approaches to federal agency efforts. This approach, if implemented fully by federal agencies, could help focus agencies' efforts in research and development, reduce unneeded infrastructure government-wide, and free up resources necessary for scientific programs and related equipment.

NSIAD/RCED-98-23 Best Practices: Elements Critical to Successfully Reducing Unneeded RDT&E Infrastructure