Defense Acquisitions: Tailored Approach Needed to Improve Service Acquisition Outcomes

摘要

Department of Defense (DoD) obligations for service contracts rose from $82.3 billion in fiscal year 1996 to $141.2 billion in fiscal year 2005. DoD is becoming increasingly more reliant on the private sector to provide a wide range of services, including those for critical information technology and mission support. DoD must maximize its return on investment and provide the warfighter with needed capabilities and support at the best value for the taxpayer. GAO examined DoD's approach to managing services to do the following: (1) identify the key factors DoD should emphasize to improve its management of services, and (2) assess the extent to which DoD's current approach exhibits these factors. GAO recommends that DoD take a proactive approach to managing strategic and transactional level service acquisition elements. This includes establishing a normative position of service spending, determining risk areas for greater attention, and communicating these in a manner in which individual transactions can then be made to support strategic goals and meet cost and performance objectives. DoD concurred with all of GAO's recommendations and noted several actions the department is taking or plans to take to improve the acquisition of services.