United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-08-06 monographic deposited born digital 45 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-96-112 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-112 P0b002ee180399dba f:ns96112 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-112 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-112 NSIAD-96-112 Laboratories Research and development contracts Conflict of interest Cost effectiveness analysis Internal controls Competitive procurement Defense contracts Privatization Department of Defense contractors Research and development facilities Letter Report NSIAD

GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) management and use of federally funded research and development centers (FFRDC), focusing on issues that merit closer attention as Congress and DOD seek to resolve certain concerns.<p/>GAO found that; (1) overly broad FFRDC mission statements may allow FFRDC to diversify into areas beyond their proper scope or to perform inherently governmental functions; (2) DOD has tried to tighten FFRDC roles, but it is still difficult to determine if given tasks meet FFRDC criteria; (3) DOD controls to ensure FFRDC objectivity are sparse and inadequate, since it only requires an approved conflict-of-interest policy for FFRDC trustees, rather than establishing departmentwide criteria; (4) DOD generally relies on FFRDC sponsors to prevent conflicts of interest, but some FFRDC sponsors' internal controls are not as rigorous as other sponsors' controls; (5) DOD has not exerted strong control over FFRDC parent organizations' non-FFRDC work, but recent DOD management plan revisions incorporate criteria to limit parent corporations' diversification and control the non-FFRDC work they perform; (6) DOD policy guidance and oversight of FFRDC have been inadequate regarding justification of noncompetitive contract awards for FFRDC operation, audit controls, contract fees, and employee compensation; (7) a panel has been established to review and advise DOD on the management of FFRDC; (8) DOD does not believe that using civil servants or contractors would be effective alternatives to FFRDC; and (9) it is too soon to assess DOD initiatives to address concerns about FFRDC. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-112/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-112.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-112/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-112.pdf GAO/NSIAD-96-112 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-112 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-96-112; Federally Funded R&D Centers: Issues Relating to the Management of DOD-Sponsored Centers; Laboratories Research and development contracts Conflict of interest Cost effectiveness analysis Internal controls Competitive procurement Defense contracts Privatization Department of Defense contractors Research and development facilities Title 10 Section 2304 10 U.S.C. 2304 Public Law 91-121 Public Law 102-172 Public Law 103-335 Public Law 103-355 Public Law 104-106 H. Rept. 102-627 S. Rept. 103-258 S. Rept. 103-282