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GAO-12-977R 1 (2012-09-12)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacgmi0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Accountabiliy - Integrity - Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 September 12, 2012 Congressional Committees Subject: Iraq and Afghanistan: Agencies Are Taking Steps to Improve Data on Contracting but Need to Standardize Reporting The Departments of Defense (DOD) and State (State) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have relied extensively on contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan to provide a range of services, such as security, transportation, and base operations. Additionally, State and USAID have relied on recipients of grants and cooperative agreements-two types of assistance instruments-to implement infrastructure, governance, and economic development projects in the two countries. Reliable, meaningful data related to contracts and assistance instruments are a starting point for informing agency decisions and ensuring proper management and oversight. In recent years, Congress has taken a series of actions to increase the oversight and availability of information related to Iraq and Afghanistan contracts and assistance instruments. Specifically, amendments from the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (NDAA for FY201 1) require those three agencies to submit annual joint reports to Congress on their contracts and assistance instruments with work performed in Iraq and Afghanistan.1 The reports are to address several matters, such as the number and value of contracts and assistance instruments, number of contractor and assistance personnel, number of contractor personnel performing security functions, and any plans for strengthening the collection and coordination of contract information. In April 2012, the three agencies issued their second Annual Joint Report on Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, covering fiscal year 2011(hereafter, referred to as the 2011 joint report), to congressional committees. Their first joint report, covering fiscal year 2010 (2010 joint report) was issued in May 2011. The joint reporting requirement builds upon earlier requirements for the three agencies to track information on contracts, assistance instruments, and associated personnel. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (NDAA for FY2008) directed DOD, State, and USAID to identify common databases to serve as repositories of information on contracts and contractor personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.2 The three agencies subsequently designated the DOD-managed Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) as their common database for such information. With the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (NDAA for FY2010), Congress expanded the requirement to cover grants, cooperative agreements, and associated 1Pub. L. No. 111-383, § 835. 2Pub. L. No. 110-181, § 861. GAO-12-977R Iraq and Afghanistan Page 1

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