Acquisition Management
- Agencies across the government are increasingly reliant on contractors to execute their missions. In fiscal year 2008, federal agencies spent nearly $529 billion on goods and services, more than double than the government spent in fiscal year 2002.
- GAO's work has shown that agencies confront several interrelated challenges, including separating wants from needs; executing acquisition programs within available funding and established timeframes; using sound contracting arrangements with appropriate incentives and effective oversight; assuring that contractors are used only in appropriate circumstances and play proper roles; and sustaining a capable and accountable acquisition workforce.
Highlights of GAO-08-1164T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-08-1159T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-08-572T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-08-1098T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-09-342 (PDF), Highlights of GAO-09-624T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-09-663T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-09-1002T (PDF)
- These challenges have contributed to GAO designating
- contract management as a high-risk area at three agencies—the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
- the management and use of interagency contracting as a governmentwide high-risk area; and
- DOD’s weapon system acquisition as a high-risk area.
- Other agencies face many of the same challenges. Collectively, these challenges expose hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to potential waste and misuse.
Highlights of GAO-07-1098T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-09-271 (PDF)
- Addressing these challenges will require sustained management attention and leadership at both the agency level and from organizations such as the Office of Management and Budget and its Office of Federal Procurement Policy.
- Improve acquisition outcomes on major systems
- Promote the use of sound business arrangements
- Ensure agencies have the capacity to effectively manage and appropriately use contractors
