Ethics in Procurement and Acquisition
Ethics are vitally important, particularly in the contingency environment because of the cultural differences. The need to maintain high ethical standards and procurement integrity is always important for DoD contracting officers. However, this requirement can be even more challenging in a deployed environment where the expectations and business habits of the suppliers with whom you will be dealing may be affected by varying cultural, political, and economic conditions. The pressures to meet mission requirements can be even more intense in a contingency contracting environment. If you are not vigilant, these pressures can cloud your judgment as to the right way to conduct yourself and represent the US and DoD. Below are some of the tools that can be used to impact contractors who engage in fraudulent conducts.
National Procurement Fraud Task Force. The task force’s charge is to detect, prevent, and prosecute procurement fraud resulting from increased contracting activity for national security and other government programs.
Inspector General and SIGIR. The Inspector General Act of 1978 established the Inspector General as the primary advisor to the Secretary of Defense for issues related to prevention of fraud and abuse in the Department of Defense (DOD). Congress also instituted the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) to oversee the
$18.4 billion reconstruction fund. As a result, the Department of Defense Inspector General has limited its audit role in order to prevent duplication of efforts due to the oversight provided by the SIGIR, the DOD audit community, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Defense Contract Audit Agency. Established in 1965, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA; www.dcaa.mil) centralized audit functions for the various branches of the military. The DCAA performs standardized contract audits for the DOD and certain other government agencies, along with accounting and financial advisory services related
National Procurement Fraud Task Force. The task force’s charge is to detect, prevent, and prosecute procurement fraud resulting from increased contracting activity for national security and other government programs.
Inspector General and SIGIR. The Inspector General Act of 1978 established the Inspector General as the primary advisor to the Secretary of Defense for issues related to prevention of fraud and abuse in the Department of Defense (DOD). Congress also instituted the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) to oversee the
$18.4 billion reconstruction fund. As a result, the Department of Defense Inspector General has limited its audit role in order to prevent duplication of efforts due to the oversight provided by the SIGIR, the DOD audit community, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Defense Contract Audit Agency. Established in 1965, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA; www.dcaa.mil) centralized audit functions for the various branches of the military. The DCAA performs standardized contract audits for the DOD and certain other government agencies, along with accounting and financial advisory services related
References: Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy November 2010 http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/