DCAA — Is Anyone Home?

Abstract:     
This article examines the performance of the Defense Contract Audit Agency, an important component of the Department of Defense responsible for examining over $250 billion a year in government contracts. The article reviews recent changes in the agency's programs which have made it less effective in rooting out contractor mischarges and overpricing, and resulting in an audit backlog that will soon approach $1 trillion. The article proposes reforms that will return the agency to its core mission of auditing contractor proposed prices and incurred costs on large defense-related contracts.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 6

Keywords: General Accounting Office, GAO, audits, auditing, costs, DCAA, Defense Contract Audit Agency, peer reviews, working paper documentation, government contracts, government contractors, backlogs, National Defense Authorization Act, cost accounting standards

JEL Classification: H56, K12, K19, K29, K39

Accepted Paper Series