Abstract : OSD's Cost Analysis Improvement Group (CAIG) is involved in an annual cycle of efforts aimed at improving DoD's ability to forecast future costs. During the DoD Cost Analysis Symposium, the CAIG reviews the status of DoD's capabilities to estimate the costs of forces and weapon systems. At the annual IDA Cost Research Symposium, CAIG representatives discuss ongoing and planned cost research projects with other offices and organizations involved in defense-related cost research. Following these annual events, the CAIG prepares a plan that encourages those who conduct cost research to focus on areas of highest payoff in view of pending acquisition decisions. This document presents information from certain aspects of this annual process for the 2001 cycle. It presents the summaries of current and planned cost research projects at the offices and organizations that participated in this year's IDA Cost Research Symposium and describes the Services' individual assessments of defense cost-estimating capabilities.