Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)---Are the Horror Stories True? (employees, collecting)

[certainguy]

Originally Posted by sinsativ

Do your job, be proud of your self, don't compromise your principles.

That's a laugh. If you have principles, start looking for another job.

Look, just look up DCAA on wikipedia, and be sure to scroll down and read the whole thing about Boeing and Bechtel getting the hands-off treatment as ordered from DCAA management.

You are in the devil's belly, my brother!

[MRSFUL]

Originally Posted by maf763

People who are satisfied with their jobs wouldn't be venting about it on online forums, so you're reading the words of the disgruntled. And the gruntled (is that a word?) wouldn't necessarily feel the need to write positive reviews to provide a balance.

Grain of salt, my man. Keep your own eyes and ears open once you get there and form your own opinions - don't create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

*****

I used to believe this too, but then I had to help start a Congressional Inquiry into the matter. You would be surprised at the length people will go to in an effort to report ethics violations that are falling on deaf ears of management. (Selected management were the perpetrators by instructing auditors to work on one account but bill another for example.)

Yes, the horror stories are probably partially truth and partially fiction. The key is to isolate an office in question. The "horror stories" vary significantly by office, geographic region, and really by the standards of the Branch Chief for that office. Although one would think that ethics would necessitate a consistent practice, this is unfortunately not always the case within this national agency. The situation is supposed to be improving, but not in all cases.

[certainguy]

I'd like to hear from the original poster on how his job is going. I would wager that the only changes DCAA will make are cosmetic and temporary. Their accessory to fraud is much more extensive than an expensive toilet seat or one $100 hammer. It's not office by office. It's systemic. It's in the DCAAM.

For example, in a closing statement audit one must report total contract costs by year. Those numbers come from the incurred cost audit, per DCAAM. And where do the numbers come from for the incurred cost audits? From the contractor, straight up without audit, pre DCAAM. There is never a reconciliation of annual contract costs by contract to total annual contract costs. Therefore there is no assurance that the contractor hasn't billed more costs by contract than it incurred in totality. Pretty simple. It's not likely that an auditor with only DCAA experience would raise this issue as their training amounts to inbreeding. It's because of training and experience prior to DCAA that I knew to raise such questions. And, of course, to deaf ears.

The disgruntled employee excuse is classic DCAA-speak. Who with ethics wouldn't be disgruntled if their career is derailed because they're not a party to fraud of this sleeping watchdog?

[xflygirl]

Does anyone out there work for the DCAA Herndon branch......am possibly up for office assistant position and was just wondering how big the office is, how many people, and do they allow you to start as early as 6:00. I live far away and would want to beat the traffic.

Thanks.

[xflygirl]

Hello? Are you currently working in Herndon?

[wildbill2u]

I spent seven years with the DCAA and strongly recommend it to my accounting students (I teach accounting at a state university). The training was top notch and the level of professionalism was great. To go from studying accounting to navigating the books of a multi billion dollar corporation was experience few get so quickly after graduating. The promotions come fast the first three years as does the increase in responsibilities. I have continued to work in government related positions and am currently the Internal Audit Director for a major corporation. I would hire a DCAA auditor to work for me in a heart beat. It is an excellent first job or a great career.

[atomicboy05]

DCAA is a good place to get your entry into the Government. I stayed with DCAA for 3 years, long enough to make contacts and get a better job. Learn auditing and accounting, but also learn all the parts of the FAR. Get involved in National Contract Management Association (NCMA), study for and get the Certified Federal Contract Manager designation, and learn how Government procurement works. There's more to FAR than Part 31. Use DCAA for a stepping stone, there are much better jobs in the Government!

[ThickAsABrick]

By now you have cast your lot, but I want to weigh in. As a contractor who is audited by DCAA I am hopeful that you join with enthusiasm and become an asset to DCAA. Like any organization there are good and bad auditors just as there are good and bad contractors. I try to treat DCAA auditors with respect and decency. They have been reciprocal. The job is tough and not one where I suppose there are lots of thanks or bonuses (except tuition reimbursement). While I never chose public service I respect those who do. Study hard and do a good job!

[SteelCityRising]

Since approximately one year has passed since I posted this thread I figured it would be prudent for me to return to provide an update so that nobody is left "hanging." I had actually forgot I had posted it until I Googled something related to DCAA, and this thread popped up in the search results.

I did pursue the position and am approaching my one-year anniversary with the agency. How do I feel now? I have mixed feelings. I'm still idealistic that I can quickly grasp new concepts and propel myself into the prime role of saving money for the American tax payer, but as a few others have referenced there are indeed some (not all) supervisors who possess excellent audit knowledge but who can frequently yell at or "down-talk" to their subordinates to the point of nearly driving them to tears on occasion (even if they don't realize it). I fear asking a question because I feel like I am pressuring or burdening an already overtaxed boss, but, at the same time, I also can't NOT ask a question and risk wasting audit effort (tax dollars) in the process. My supervisor is brilliant, but she was thrust into the position with very little guidance and without feeling like she had much of a choice in the matter. This stress often gets transcended down to myself and those on my team, and there are times when I have trouble sleeping on Sunday nights, fearful of Monday mornings and wondering what else I'm going to do to screw up and unintentionally make my boss's life more unpleasant.

There's a lot of confusion throughout the agency right now with one hand not knowing what the other is doing, but I'm confident that over time this will improve as the current wave of new hires matures and starts to "cleanse" the agency from the bottom upwards gradually with our passion and drive to succeed. There are a LOT of hard-working, loyal, and intelligent people employed in our agency, and the problems that have plagued us in recent years will be overcome. We have a new director. We're unrolling exciting new audit programs. Training is being overhauled. As a new hire I'm happy my branch manager asked for my feedback and insight into what was done well or "not well" when I was hired so that upcoming hires could have a better experience with on-boarding.

As far as the "training" is concerned I'd say it would be better if we were provided the opportunity to take this training before embarking upon related audits. I find the courses to be very helpful, but what good are they if you take them only to kick yourself realizing how much time and effort you could have saved on a prior assignment if you had taken the training sooner? I had already completed one assignment and was already tasked to another complex one before even going for our agency's initial on-site training due to the agency's staffing crisis.

Also, there seems to be a huge "disconnect" of sorts between headquarters, region, and the field, but I suppose this is par for the course throughout many government agencies (and potentially in the private sector as well). If someone in the field asks a question to both HQ and region, they may get two conflicting answers. That shouldn't be the case. In the case of an audit in which a statistical sample is run, for example, one entity may advise us to "never" use less than 45 timesheets, vouchers, or whatever as a "general rule of thumb", even if our own statistical sampling software determines a lower sample size is acceptable. Another entity may tell us "risk is low enough that you can reduce your sample size even lower." Sometimes you get that feeling like you're "darned if you do but darned if you don't" because what may be good for your supervisor may not be good for HQ but may be good for DoDIG but NOT good for GAO.

I also wish the promotion process was a bit more "fair." I've had peers tell me jubilantly that their supervisors told THEM not to worry and that their promotions from GS-7 up to GS-9 would be "automatic", and yet in my particular case I'm becoming depressed and sick with worry because my own supervisor always makes it a point to emphasize "IF you get promoted", as if to imply I'm failing. Why should some be rubber-stamped for promotions while others may work very diligently and still not receive one? Financially if I don't receive a pay increase this year I'll be forced to relocate and get a different job because I'm drowning in one of the nation's most expensive rental markets where I'm not earning enough as-is to bank anything for savings.

My overall verdict? I'm happy I made the decision to pursue employment with DCAA and will continue to try to do my best to make my country proud. There are some "bumps" in the road, but what job doesn't have them? I would definitely recommend seeking employment here.

[M3 Mitch]

Originally Posted by nicet4

By all means take the job.

Going in with the attitude of making a difference for the taxpayer is exactly like being drafted into the US Army with the intention of changing the way the army does things.

Go along to get along.

Exactly. Working for Uncle Sam is not the thing for a real "hard charger". Get in there and give it a go, you will just have to see for yourself if this particular gov't agency is a good fit for you.

But set your throttle at about 80% - you will go just as far with less "sturm and drang".

I'm an engineer and would go stark raving mad doing audits. I could probably do one or two, but after that I couldn't take the repetitive, rule-based activity.