Accession Number:

AD1157207

Title:

Defense Contracts: DOD Should Develop a Strategy for Assessing Contract Award Time Frames

Descriptive Note:

[Technical Report, Congressional Report]

Corporate Author:

United States Government Accountability Office

Personal Author(s):

• Woods, William T.
• Berrier, Penny
• Anderson, Peter
• Ballard, David
• Bensen, Sonja
• Ettaro, Lorraine
• Gurka, Kurt
• Hoover, Gina
• Kennon, Julia
• Mebane, Carol
• Nguyen, Anh
• Oden, Bonita
• ,
• Shinn, Jenny
• ,
• ,
• Volk, Abby
• Wilson, Robin

Report Date:

2018-07-16

Pagination or Media Count:

48

Abstract:

DODs contracting process is designed to protect taxpayers interests, among other things, and can take time. DOD leadership and contractors have expressed concern about the length of time to award contracts and DOD has proposed reducing that time. GAO was asked to evaluate the length of time to award weapon systems contracts. This report examines 1 DODs efforts to determine the time it takes to award contracts 2 data on the time interval from solicitation to contract award for selected contracts and 3 factors identified as contributing to contract award time frames. GAO used the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation to identify new weapon systems-related contracts awarded in fiscal years 2014 through 2016, valued over 5 million, among other factors. GAO selected a nongeneralizable sample of 129 contracts at four DOD components with the highest total dollar value and highest number of contracts from those fiscal years for further analysis. GAO analyzed contract documentation and surveyed contracting officials on a subset of contracts to determine the factors affecting the time between solicitation issuance and award.

Descriptors:

Subject Categories:

• Administration and Management

Distribution Statement:

[A, Approved For Public Release]