U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Actions Taken to Develop Water Resources Research Prototypes
Fast Facts
The Army Corps of Engineers takes on water infrastructure-related civil works projects like dams and locks. The Corps can award types of contracts known as "other transaction agreements" that aren't procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants.
In early 2024, the Corps revised its policy to allow these agreements to be used for research prototypes. In May, the Corps solicited proposals for designing a prototype for testing hydraulic structures like lock gates and valves. The model would be used to test innovations—e.g., new materials or repair techniques. The Corps awarded an "other transaction" agreement for this in November 2024.
The Corps works on locks—hydraulic structures that raise and lower boats on a river—such as this one on the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania.
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Water Resource Development Act of 2022 (Act) authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to use other transaction agreements to carry out certain projects to support research activities for its Civil Works program. Other transaction agreements are those other than procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants, and are generally not subject to the same federal laws and regulations applicable to federal contracts or financial assistance. This allows agencies to customize their other transaction agreements to help meet project requirements and mission needs.
Since GAO's November 2023 report on this issue, the Department of the Army issued updated guidance on using other transaction agreements, and the Corps initiated its first transaction in support of the Civil Works program. Through this action the Corps sought the development of a proof of concept and design for a large-scale hydraulic structures prototype model to enable testing of innovations at a scale large enough to provide proof of readiness for deployment in the hydraulic structures it operates. The Corps awarded the other transaction agreement in November 2024. Going forward Corps officials expect they may enter into additional other transaction agreements through an existing, Civil Works-focused solicitation for innovative commercial products, technologies, and services called the Commercial Solutions Opening.
Why GAO Did This Study
Located within the Department of Defense, the Corps has both military and civilian responsibilities. The Act authorized the Corps to use other transaction agreements to carry out prototype projects and follow-on production contracts or transactions to support the basic, applied, and advanced research activities of its civilian Civil Works mission. These prototype efforts can aid the Corps' management of water resources infrastructure including dams, levees, hurricane barriers, floodgates, and other hydraulic structures across the U.S.
The Act also includes a provision for GAO to annually report on the Corps' use of its other transaction authority for its Civil Works program. In November 2023, GAO issued its first report on the Corps' efforts to implement and use this authority. This second report updates the status of the Corps' efforts since the 2023 report. To determine this information, GAO reviewed relevant Department of Defense documents and GAO reports and conducted interviews with Corps and Department of the Army officials.
For more information, contact Hilary M. Benedict at 202-512-6888 or BenedictH@gao.gov.