U S Government Accountability Office

DOD inventory of contracted services, timely decisions and further actions needed to address long-standing issues U S Government Accountability Office

" DOD is the government's largest purchaser of contractor-provided services. In 2008, Congress required DOD to compile and review an annual inventory of its contracted services to identify the number of contractors performing services and the functions contractors performed. In 2011, Congress required DOD to use that inventory to inform certain decision-making processes, including workforce planning and budgeting. GAO has previously reported on the challenges DOD faces in compiling, reviewing, and using the inventory. Since 2011, GAO made 13 recommendations intended to improve DOD's use of the inventory. Of these, DOD has yet to fully address 8 open recommendations. Congress included a provision in statute for GAO to report on DOD's required reviews and plans to use the inventory. This report assesses the extent to which DOD components (1) reviewed contracts and activities in the fiscal year 2014 inventory of contracted services, and (2) developed plans to use the inventory for decision making. GAO reviewed relevant laws and guidance and 40 components' inventory review certification letters, and interviewed DOD acquisition, manpower, and programming officials. "