Measures Needed To Ensure Compliance With Contract Specifications In Construction Of Military Facilities

B-171496: Published: Apr 16, 1971. Publicly Released: Apr 16, 1971.

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GAO reviewed the inspection procedures of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) intended to ensure that construction is in accordance with contract specifications.

GAO noted that: (1) the Corps and NAVFAC need to tighten their procedures and practices for inspecting construction so that military projects will be constructed as contracts specify; (2) a number of military facilities accepted by the government as completed were not built in compliance with contract requirements; (3) as a result, the facilities were not fully satisfactory for their intended use and the government had to spend additional time and effort having deficiencies corrected; and (4) the Corps and NAVFAC need to improve: (a) enforcement of contractor quality controls; (b) reports from and training of government inspectors; (c) evaluations by headquarters of field activities; and (d) coordination of activities of the two construction agencies in solving problems common to both.

Recommendation for Executive Action

  1. Status: Closed

    Comments: Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Army should have the Chief of Engineers establish and the Secretary of the Navy should have the Commander, NAVFAC, establish procedures for systematically monitoring field offices' enforcement of contractor quality control programs. The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy should have the Chief of Engineers and the Commander, NAVFAC, respectively, review the current inspection reporting practices of their field offices, correct those not complying with agency regulations, and implement a system for prompt systematic communication of inspection findings from the field offices to the construction management levels. The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy should have the Chief of Engineers--in improving the Corps of Engineers' current program--and the Commander, NAVFAC--in developing a program for the Navy--respectively: (1) establish a better means for determining training needs of inspectors and matching training to the inspection needs of the agency; (2) develop a continuous systematic training program to meet the determined needs; and (3) maintain centralized training records to facilitate planning and evaluation of training for groups and individuals. The Secretary of the Army should have the Chief of Engineers take appropriate action to ensure that the Corps' Construction Evaluation Branch performs more comprehensive reviews of field offices' implementation of agency procedures for inspection and supervision of military construction. The Secretary of the Navy should have the Commander, NAVFAC, take appropriate action to ensure that the Command's Construction Engineering Division develops an adequate system to monitor implementation by field offices of agency procedures for inspection and supervision of military construction. The Secretary of Defense should take appropriate action to ensure that the construction agencies coordinate activities in areas of mutual interest regarding construction quality assurance.

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