These observations aged well..
"Three factors, however, set research and development programming apart. First, we are attempting to schedule intellectual activity as well as the more easily measurable physical activity. Second, by definition, research and development projects are of a pioneering nature. Therefore previous, parallel experience upon which to base schedules of a new project is relatively unavailable...
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Third, the unpredictability of specific research results inevitably requires, frequent change in program detail. These points are acknowledged by all experienced research people."
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"Yet, even though it be ridiculous to conceive of scheduling research and development with the split-second precision of an auto assembly line, it is clear that the farther reaching and more complex our projects become, the greater is the need for procedural tools to aid top managers to comprehend and control the project."
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"This last point introduces a most important matter in research administration. The people most qualified to speak on what they have done, are doing, can do, and might do in a development project are the development people themselves. "
https://web.archive.org/web/20151112203807/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/735902.pdf