Federal Contracting: Additional Management Attention and Action Needed to Close Contracts and Reduce Audit Backlog

Abstract

The effectiveness of management efforts to reduce the number of contracts overdue for closeout varied across five agencies GAO reviewed the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security(DHS), Justice, and State. None of the agencies had critical elements agency-wide that would help track and oversee contract closeout processes the number and type of contracts to be closed, where the contracts were in the process, and goals and performance measures. Having such information could help management address the causes as to why contracts remain open and reduce the contract closeout backlog.