Military Operations: High-Level DOD Action Needed to Address Long-standing Problems with Management and Oversight of Contractors Supporting Deployed Forces

DOD concurred with GAO's recommendation and in October 2006 established the office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Program Support. According to DOD, this office is the focal point within the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics community dedicated to leading DOD's efforts to improve contract management and oversight at deployed locations.

DOD concurred with GAO's recommendation and in January 2007 DOD designated the Synchronized Predeployemnt and Operational Tracker (SPOT) as the Joint Solution required by DOD Instruction 3020.41 for the purpose of maintaining information on contractor personnel and contract capability. DOD has implemented the SPOT database and is currently requiring all DOD contractors to enter data regarding contractor employees into the database. Current GAO work indicates that DOD continues to refine the database and improve its accuracy.

DOD concurred with GAO's recommendation and stated that as part of the requirement of Section 854 of the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act it would study, among other things, the roles and missions of Defense Contract Management Agency and military service personnel responsible for contract oversight.

DOD concurred with GAO's recommendation and stated that DOD would develop and implement a systematic strategy for capturing, retaining, and applying lessons learned on the use of contractor support to deployed forces. According to DOD, efforts are currently underway to examine implementing a common website for contingency contracting information. In addition, the Defense Acquisition University has designated the Contingency Contracting Community of Practice as a central repository for contingency contracting knowledge and training. According to DOD officials, a newly formed organization known as the Joint Contingency Contract Support Office is responsible for collecting lessons learned.

DOD concurred with GAO's recommendation and specified several actions the department either has taken to implement the recommendation, including (1) designating the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) as the DOD database to provide Combatant Commanders with visibility over contract support, (2) issuing Joint Publication 4.10 in October 2008 which address the roles and responsibilities of non-acquisition personnel including those responsible for contract oversight, and (3) incorporating additional training on the use of contractors in deployed locations in both mission rehearsal exercises and other predeployment training.

DOD concurred with GAO's recommendation and stated the Joint Staff is currently researching joint education for logisticians which will include efforts on contract and contractor management. In response to our report, the Department has taken steps to improve training for non-acquisition personnel likely to have contract management and oversight responsibilities. For example, in 2010, the department introduced a new online training course focused on contract oversight in contingency operations and included operational contract support issues in its predeployment training program. In addition, the department is continuing its efforts to include OCS in its professional military education at all levels. For example, the Army includes some OCS training in its intermidate level course taken by all Majors and also includes OCS in many of its other professional military education programs of instruction.

DOD concurred with GAO's recommendation and stated that it established the office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Program Support in October 2006. While DOD intends to assign this office primary responsibility for matters concerning contractor support to deployed forces, as of June 2007 it was not clear what role this office would have in meeting the intent of our recommendation(s). The office of Program Support has developed into the principal advisor (with the Joint Staff) on all matters related to operational contract support (OCS) and this responsibility is detailed in DOD instruction 3020.49.The office has developed an OCS concept of operations, developed guidance on oversight of private security contractors in contingency operations, and provided funding for OCS planners at each of the combatant commands. In addition, it acts as the focal point for training issues and is the department advocate for the system used to track contractors in contingency operations.