Careers
Acquisition and Sourcing Management
Our Work
Federal agencies spend billions of tax dollars each year to acquire sophisticated weaponry, complex space and satellite systems, advanced technologies, and a broad range of goods and services needed to make the federal government run. Spending on these projects constitutes the largest element of discretionary funding in the federal budget. Analysts in the Acquisition and Sourcing Management team help Congress determine whether this money is being spent efficiently and effectively and if acquisitions protect the government’s interest and maximize agencies’ return on investment. We also assist the federal government to adopt better ways of buying systems, equipment, and services. In the face of global economic pressures, we also identify trends in national security industries and weaknesses in protecting critical capabilities and technologies.
Our oversight responsibilities primarily include the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) because they invest most heavily in acquisitions. We also work with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to examine opportunities for bringing about governmentwide improvements, particularly for new contracting approaches, strengthening the acquisition workforce, and analyzing the defense industrial base. Our work also has an international focus. For example, we examine foreign military sales improvement efforts, foreign acquisitions affecting national security, export control proposals, and international alliances among DOD contractors.