Carroll
Dunn
CEBMCO as a whole, not directly by me, although I was a part of it-was to go into
a system of prequalified contractors, which had never been done in government
contracting.
With the help of the chiefs office and particularly the legal people there, a procedure
was developed to prequalify contractors so that we knew that those who were invited
to bid on each contract had the capability to do the work required. This included
considering type of work, size of contract, and both the financial and management
capability. In my judgment this, as much as any other one thing, was responsible for the
success of the program. When I went to Dallas and had the responsibility of building
the Manned Spacecraft Center at Houston, under the supervision of the Fort Worth
District, I instituted the same system of prequalified contractors for that program.
Again, I think, with very good results.
Q ..
This "fast-track" system that you mentioned, is that at all related to the critical path
method?
A ..
Critical path is not a method. Critical path is really a planning schedule means by which
you break a project down into a large number of individual action items. As a result,
you can
the project very closely in terms of where you stand at any given time.
Q ..
It's a monitoring device?
A ..
It's more a planning and monitoring device.
Q ..
Using a computer?
A ..
If available, you can use a computer. Originally, it was done by hand. It still can be
done that
Q ..
Was that instituted while you were at CEBMCO?
A ..
We used it on some of our contracts, and the Air Force had an overall project system
using essentially critical path schedules. This basically had come out of the Polaris
program of
Navy, as I remember.
Q ..
Did you carry that with you to Dallas?
Partially, I
I set up a major study of the Arkansas River program that was
A
essentially based on critical path scheduling.
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