Problems Encountered in Defense Procurements of Clothing Items
Gao ID: PLRD-83-2 October 21, 1982In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed an Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) study of clothing and apparel procurement practices by the Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC) and a proposal for establishing a Defense procurement assistance center.
The OSD report stated that, during fiscal year 1981, more than 98 percent of all clothing and textile contracts were awarded competitively and that less than 1 percent of all clothing items procured by DPSC were procured with inadequate competition. Further, the report stated that delinquency rates on many sole-source contracts was a result of the delinquency reporting method used by DPSC and that it was not a major problem. The report concluded that the DPSC outreach program was sound and could be improved but recommended not funding a procurement assistance center. GAO found that the OSD study fairly stated current DPSC procurement practices, and it concurred with the study's conclusion.