NRC's Use of Consultants, Contractors, and the National Laboratories

A study examined the procedures used by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for acquiring and using assistance and expertise from outside consultants, and the use by NRC of the Department of Energy's (DOE) laboratories. NRC spends more than one-half of its budget for the acquisition of outside goods and services. About 86 percent of the expenditures are for research and technical assistance acquired from the NRC laboratories, and the remaining expenditures are generally for goods and services obtained from contractors and for work performed by consultants.