Watchdog Group Expresses Continued Concerns with DCAA

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) sent a letter to the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees urging them to continue their oversight of the Defense Contract Audit Agency. POGO is an independent, well-respected, and vocal nonprofit that investigates and exposes corruption and other misconduct in order to achieve a more effective, accountable, open and ethical federal government. As frequent readers of their blog and news articles, we know POGO to be highly supportive of the need for strong contract audit oversight of federal procurement processes. POGO has been proposing for a long time that DCAA could be more effective if it were independent from the Department of Defense.

In its letter to the Senate committees, POGO, citing sources within DCAA, expressed concerns that recent changes within the Agency, including new leadership, have failed to address systemic problems at the Agency. POGO illustrates this concern with the following examples; (i) leadership is resisting grassroots efforts to address problems raised by the GAO and the DoD Inspector General, (ii) the hotline established to allow auditors to report conflicts with management is used for retribution, and (iii) managers and supervisors are not being held accountable for inappropriately changing audit opinions, facilitating cozy relationships with contractors and creating abusive work environments.

POGO urges the Committees to

continue your inquiry to determine if DCAA is implementing the meaningful reforms that would help the agency to become a strong and independent contract auditor to guard taxpayer dollars.

Go here to read the full POGO letter to the Senate Committees.