Defense Acquisition Workforce: Improved Processes, Guidance, and Planning Needed to Enhance Use of Workforce Funds

Abstract : The Department of Defense (DOD) obligated about $375 billion in fiscal year 2011 to acquire goods and services to meet its mission and support its operations in the United States and abroad. GAO s work, as well as that of others, has documented shortcomings in DOD s strategic and acquisition planning, contract administration and oversight, and acquisition workforce. In our February 2011 high-risk report, for example, we noted that DOD needed to ensure that its acquisition workforce was adequately sized, trained, and equipped to meet department needs. Lack of an adequate number of trained acquisition and contract oversight personnel contributed to unmet expectations and has placed DOD, at times, at risk of potentially paying more than necessary. To help alleviate some of these long standing challenges and provide additional funds for the recruitment, training, and retention of acquisition personnel, in 2008 Congress established the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund (DAWDF).3 The fund supports expanded emphasis in these areas; for example, DOD expects to use DAWDF to hire approximately 10,000 new acquisition personnel through fiscal year 2015. Approximately $1.8 billion was allocated to the fund through February 2012.