Contingency Contracting

The DoD and State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have relied extensively on contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, including using contractors to help administer other contracts or grants. Relying on contractors to perform such functions can provide benefits but also introduces potential risks, such as conflicts of interest, that should be considered and managed. This report reviewed: (1) the extent to which DoD, State, and USAID rely on contractors to perform contract and grant administration in Iraq and Afghanistan; (2) the reasons behind decisions to use such contractors and whether the decisions are guided by strategic workforce planning; and (3) whether agencies considered and mitigated related risks. Illus.

The Departments of Defense (DoD) and State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have relied extensively on contractors to provide a range of services in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the agencies have faced challenges in obtaining sufficient information to plan and manage their use of contractors. This report analyzed DoD, State, and USAID data for Iraq and Afghanistan for FY 2008 and the first half of FY 2009 on the: (1) status of agency efforts to track information on contracts and contractor personnel; (2) number of contractor personnel; (3) number of killed and wounded contractors; and (4) number and value of contracts and the extent to which they were awarded competitively. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Discusses ongoing efforts by the DoD, the Dept. of State (State), and the USAID to track info. on contractor personnel and contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The importance of such data is heightened by the unprecedented reliance on contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan and the evolving U.S. presence in the two countries. This statement focuses on: (1) how info. on contractor personnel and contracts can assist agencies in managing and overseeing their use of contractors; and (2) the status of DoD, State, and USAID¿s efforts to track statutorily-required info. on contractor personnel and contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as recent recommendations to address the shortcomings identified in previous reports. Charts and tables.