Defense Contract Management Agency's Investigation and Control of Nonconforming Materials.

摘要

We initiated this audit because of a DoD Hotline complaint made in 2009 concerning the Defense Contract Management Agencys (DCMA's) actions following the discovery of nonconforming cables used in avionics systems produced by Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division (NSD). We reviewed the hotline complaint and evaluated DCMA's actions taken to address the nonconforming cables. We also reviewed DCMA's current policies and procedures on investigating and controlling nonconforming cables for avionic systems produced by NSD. However, since the 2009 DoD Hotline complaint, there have not been any nonconforming cables identified. The Hotline complaint included allegations related to the cables that Rapid Manufacturing (Rapid) produced for NSD. We determined that DCMA officials took appropriate actions to address the nonconforming Rapid cables. Specifically, DCMA issued three corrective action requests (CARs), notified customers, and conducted an evaluation of Rapid's cable production to validate the corrective actions NSD took. According to DCMA- Los Angeles officials, they conducted reviews of suppliers based on contract administration delegations, work priorities, and critical safety items. In addition, the DCMA-Los Angeles Quality Assurance Supervisor stated that her office had not followed the Government Contract Quality Assurance (GCQA) surveillance plan as directed by DCMA policy because of limited personnel resources. Our review determined that DCMA and NSD addressed and resolved the Rapid cable problem and that there have not been any nonconforming cables since the Hotline complaint. As a result, this memorandum discusses the actions NSD and DCMA took to correct the nonconforming cables and also addresses DCMA's oversight of NSD's cable suppliers.