Commission on Wartime Contracting

Defense, State, USAID to testify on coordination of reconstruction contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan

Download the PDF

ARLINGTON, VA, Feb. 24, 2010 – Witnesses from the U.S. Departments of Defense and State, and from the U.S. Agency for International Development, will appear before the federal Commission on Wartime Contracting on March 1 for part two of a hearing on “An Urgent Need: Coordinating Reconstruction and Stabilization in Contingency Operations.”

The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The commission will hear testimony from:

• James A. Bever, Director, Task Force for Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Agency for International Development. Ambassador
• John E. Herbst, Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, Department of State.
• Dr. James Schear, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Partnership Strategy and Stability Operations, Department of Defense.

The March 1 hearing will build on Feb. 22 testimony to the commission from the government’s Special Inspectors General for reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan and from witnesses from the U.S. Institute of Peace, the International Crisis Group, and the RAND Corp. All spoke of problems in planning and coordinating the myriad of projects, from digging wells and building roads, to training police and promoting small businesses, that aim to stabilize and develop Iraq and Afghanistan. These projects rely heavily on contracts.

The three government witnesses on Monday’s panel will be asked what their agencies have done and are planning to promote interagency coordination. They will also be asked to respond to suggestions from the Feb. 22 hearing that more funding and staffing for State and USAID, targeted reforms, or creation of a new government-wide planning and oversight agency might be needed to reduce waste and improve outcomes.

Congress created the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008 (Public Law 110-181) to examine contingency contracting for reconstruction, logistics, and security functions, and to recommend improvements. Michael Thibault and Christopher Shays are co-chairs; other members are Clark Kent Ervin, Grant Green, Robert Henke, Katherine Schinasi, Charles Tiefer, and Dov Zakheim.

More information and links to Commission reports at on the Web at www.wartimecontracting.gov.