Fraud, Waste, and Abuse and Contingency Contracts: A Critical Assessment of DoD and Army Processes
Abstract
This thesis addresses the fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) associated with contingency contracts that DoD has administered for the last 9 years. The topic was chosen because of its potential impact on the national debt, military pay freezes, and retirement for military service members. The primary research question is as follows: What programs or processes has DoD initiated to mitigate FWA within contingency contracting, and have any of those initiatives been effective? After 9 years of conflict, the nation now faces its biggest economic crisis in U.S. history and a national deficit of $1.64 trillion. By 2009, Congress had appropriated nearly $888 billion to pay for U.S operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Pentagon estimates that $10 billion more was misspent or lost in related contracts valued at $57 billion. The thesis cites several federal agencies that have identified systemic contributing factors to FWA in contracting. These factors fall into the following categories: (1) leadership, (2) acquisition force capability, (3) pricing adequacy, (4) contracting approaches and techniques, and (5) contract surveillance. The thesis then identifies DoD's 2008-2010 initiatives to combat systemic contributors to FWA, including establishing a subordinate Army Contracting Command to the Army Materiel Command. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that DoD has implemented effective changes across the Army's DOTMLP domains to combat, deter, and reduce FWA. However, FWA continues to stain military contracts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 16, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA556298
Entities
People
- Michael S. Mullins
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College