Defense Acquisitions: Update on DOD's Efforts to Implement a Common Contractor Manpower Data System

Abstract : The Department of Defense (DOD), the federal government s largest purchaser of contractor-provided services, reported that it obligated about $187 billion more than half of its total contract obligations on service contracts in fiscal year 2012. DOD relies on contractors to perform functions as varied as professional and management support, information technology support, medical services, and weapon system and intelligence support. In recent years, Congress has enacted legislation to improve DOD s ability to manage its acquisition of services; to make more strategic decisions about the right workforce mix of military, civilian, and contractor personnel; and to better align resource needs through the budget process to achieve that mix. For example, Section 2330a of title 10 of the U.S. Code requires DOD to annually compile and, for the military services and defense agencies to review, an inventory of services contracted for or on behalf of DOD during the preceding fiscal year, in part, to help provide better insight into the number of contractor full-time equivalents (FTE) providing services to the department. Further, the military services and defense agencies are required to use the inventory to inform strategic workforce planning decisions, and DOD is required to use the inventory to better align resource needs through the budget process. Within DOD, the offices of the Comptroller and the Under Secretaries of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L), and Personnel and Readiness (P&R) have shared responsibility for issuing guidance for compiling and reviewing the inventory.