Navy Contracting: Improvements Needed in Contracting for Simulator Maintenance Services
NSIAD-87-6
Published: Oct 29, 1986. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 1986.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO examined the Navy's Contractor Operation and Maintenance of Simulators (COMS) program to: (1) determine whether the Navy complied with statutory and regulatory requirements for contracting out the operation and maintenance of its simulators; (2) determine the support for the Navy's claims that the program is saving money and that simulators are more available for training than they were prior to COMS; and (3) assess the Navy's administration of the program.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should take steps to ensure that the Naval Training Systems Center (NTSC), in conjunction with the simulator device users, develops more realistic availability requirements for simulators. |
NTSC is requiring an annual review and certification of availability requirements by the users.
|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should instruct the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare to evaluate the need for personnel used to monitor COMS contractor performance, with a particular view toward determining the continuing need for training systems center field engineering representatives at each site. |
Although DOD did not concur with this recommendation, the Navy has reviewed the job description of the field engineering representatives.
|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should instruct NTSC to develop and implement procedures to ensure that contracting officers' technical representatives possess sufficient technical qualifications to adequately perform their duties. |
NAVSUPINST 4330.6B was implemented to ensure that contracting officers' technical representatives possess a sufficient level of technical skills to perform their functions. NTSC is responsible for carrying out the provisions of this recommendation.
|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should take steps to ensure that NTSC, in conjunction with simulator device users, identifies those simulators with excess capacity and reduce the capacity in line with actual training needs. |
In fiscal year 1986, NTSC reduced requirements for 11 devices. Continued review of excess training device capacity will occur and reductions will be made, as appropriate.
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Comparative analysisCost effectiveness analysisDefense cost controlMaintenance services contractsNaval procurementNaval trainingPrivatizationProcurement policyMilitary forcesCivilian employees