Performance Assessments and Root Cause Analyses (PARCA)

As the central office for major defense authorization performance assessment, root cause analysis, and earned value management (EVM), PARCA issues policies, procedures and guidance governing the conduct of such work by the Military Departments and the Defense Agencies. The office also evaluates the utility of performance metrics used to measure the cost, schedule, and performance of Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) and makes recommendations to the Secretary of Defense.

Mission & Roles

• Oversees the preparation of comprehensive “performance assessments” conducted semi-annually on all MDAPs
• PARCA’s Performance Assessments serve as the principle means by which USD(AT&L) maintains situational awareness of the execution status of the MDAP portfolio
• Prepares root cause analyses for MDAPs with Nunn-McCurdy breach status or when requested by senior DoD officials
• Issues policies, procedures, and guidance governing the conduct of performance assessment and root cause analysis by Military Departments and Defense Agencies
• Evaluates the utility of performance metrics used to measure the cost, schedule, and performance of MDAPs to include EVM policy
• Through an annual report, provides situation awareness of the MDAP portfolio to Congress

Initiatives

• Schedules and assigns Performance Assessments to specific AT&L offices
• Establishes and maintains assessment standards and criteria
• Develops, maintains and provides standard quantitative toolsets that facilitate assessments
• Reviews and certifies that the work performed meets the rigor and depth required by the standards promulgated
• Conducts research program into new tools and metrics that may convey a more accurate understanding of DoD program execution
• Establishes policies and standards for the performance of root cause analyses
• Creates multi-disciplinary teams to perform root cause analyses
• Conducts in-depth root cause analyses
• Communicates PARCA’s role and responsibilities to key DoD and industry partners
• Prepares annual report to Congress

Go to PARCA website