Defense Contract Management Agency DCMA

Each military service once ran its own staff of contract administrators inside defense plants. In 1990 those functions were consolidated into the Defense Contract Management Command within the Defense Logistics Agency, and in March 2000 it became an independent agency, the Defense Contract Management Agency, reporting to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. It is headquartered at Fort Lee, Virginia.

Contracting officers in the services award contracts, but DCMA administers them once they are signed. Its engineers, quality inspectors, and contract specialists work inside contractor facilities around the world, checking that weapons, aircraft, ships, and supplies meet specifications, approving payments as work progresses, monitoring cost and schedule, reviewing contractors' business systems, and negotiating changes. It oversees hundreds of thousands of contracts held by thousands of companies.

DCMA is the government's eyes inside the defense industry, and its work is central to holding contractors accountable for cost overruns and late deliveries in major programs. Its findings often feed into reports by the Government Accountability Office and inspectors general, and debates about defense acquisition reform frequently turn on whether it has enough staff and authority to keep up with complex programs.