US Army Fails to Assess Annual Contractor Ops Totaling $74 Billion - Report

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found out that the Army top leadership falls short of consistently evaluating effectiveness and efficiency of contractor operations that the spent on $74 billion in FY 2016.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Army’s top officers have failed to consistently assess the effectiveness of contractor operations that they outsource every year to the value of $74 billion, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report.

"We reviewed the Army's contracting operations and found that senior leaders haven't consistently evaluated contracting effectiveness and efficiency," the report stated on Thursday. "Instead, they have primarily focused on efforts to obligate funds before they expire."

The GAO recommended that the Army develop metrics to determine whether its contracts were meeting schedule, cost and performance goals and that it should assess the impact of its frequent organizational changes on contracting operations, the report said.

"Top Army leaders conduct department-wide contracting reviews, but they have not consistently evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of the department’s contracting operations. Instead, they have primarily focused on efforts to obligate funds before they expire," the report explained.

The Army relies extensively on contracting operations to execute its missions — in fiscal year 2016 alone, it obligated over $74 billion through contracts, the GAO noted.