Download: Pentagon_Contracting_101.pdf
Tracking contracts in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is daunting. DOD purchases more than $1 billion of goods and services every day, accounting for two-thirds of all government purchases. It is the largest federal agency in the United States, consuming more than half of discretionary spending in the U.S. budget. And it employs some 3 million people globally, more than the world’s largest corporation.
Because of its size and complexity, DOD contracting practices and scandals frequently set the agenda for contracting (acquisition in bureaucratese) across government. But size isn’t the only thing that makes Pentagon contracting different from that of other agencies. National security enjoys an exalted status when it comes to fiscal discipline. In the words of President Ronald Reagan, “defense is not a budget issue: You spend what you spend.” This viewpoint often extends to contracting practices, leading to contracts that end up way over budget and behind schedule. Ultimately this approach can result in inefficient spending and, at worst, profiteering.
TCS National Security analyst Laura Peterson has written a guide to tracking and understanding the labyrinth world of Pentagon contracting for the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative.
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