Acquisition Management

• Agencies across the government are increasingly reliant on contractors to execute their missions. In fiscal year 2007, federal agencies spent more than $450 billion on goods and services, a significant increase since 2000.
• GAO’s work has shown that agencies confront several interrelated challenges, including separating wants from needs; executing acquisition programs within available funding and established timeframes; using sound contracting arrangements with appropriate incentives and effective oversight; assuring that contractors are used only in appropriate circumstances and play proper roles; and sustaining a capable and accountable acquisition workforce.

  Highlights of GAO-08-1164T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-08-1159T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-08-572T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-08-1098T (PDF)

• These challenges have contributed to GAO designating
  
  
• contract management as a high-risk area at three agencies—the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
  
  
• the management and use of interagency contracting as a governmentwide high-risk area; and
  
  
• DOD’s weapon system acquisition as a high-risk area.
• Other agencies face many of the same challenges. Collectively, these challenges expose hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to potential waste and misuse.

  Highlights of GAO-07-1098T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-07-310 (PDF)

• Addressing these challenges will require sustained management attention and leadership at both the agency level and from organizations such as the Office of Management and Budget and its Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

^ Back to topKey Reports

High Risk Series: An Update

GAO-07-310, January 31, 2007

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 98 pages)   Accessible Text

Federal Acquisitions and Contracting: Systemic Challenges Need Attention

GAO-07-1098T, July 17, 2007

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 28 pages)   Accessible Text

Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs

GAO-08-467SP, March 31, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 205 pages)   Accessible Text

Department of Homeland Security: Progress and Continuing Concerns with Acquisition Management

GAO-08-1164T, September 17, 2008

Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 17 pages)   Accessible Text