About this issue

“SYSTEMS ANALYSIS,” “Network Management Techniques.” “Engineers as Managers.” “Project Management Effectiveness,” and “Risk Preference” — the themes of the papers in this issue-are all recurring themes in the management of Research, Development, and Engineering (RD&E). Much has been written on these ideas and some research has been done on them, but so far many questions remain, such as: Why do many systems fail in operation? Why are many techniques developed and widely used in the defense and aerospace industries not as widely accepted in commercial RD&E? How can engineers be “made” into good managers? How can project management be improved? How can risks in R&D be reduced or even accurately forecasted?