Redstone Government Consulting Blog | Incurred Cost Submission

Where does DCAA’s View of the Contractor and their Role in Acquisition Come From?

DCAA Auditor Training

DCAA website provides that new auditors receive in-depth professional training from DCAA’s Defense Contract Audit Institute (DCAI), along with on-the-job training at their assigned field audit office. DCAI is located in Atlanta, GA and provides auditors with an excellent basis on which to start their careers in contract audit. Many at Redstone GCI can speak from personal experience that, once you get past the exciting MARTA ride from the airport, the instructors at DCAI provide a good hands-on learning environment. However, we are not sure if it is a subliminal message piped into the classroom or local indoctrination at assigned field offices, but the auditors are coming away with the impression that no contractors can be trusted, and a good audit opinion has to include questioned cost.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Litigation Consulting Support, Incurred Cost Submission, Defense Contractors, DOD IG, Government Compliance Training, DFARS Business Systems, Incurred Cost Proposals, Cost-Type Contracts, DCAA Audit Support, FAR, Government Regulations, DOD Contractors, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)

DCAA created a new portal called Contractor Submission Portal (CSP) which is addressed in DCAA’s Memorandum for Regional Directors (MRD) 20-OTS-005(R) dated September 29, 2020. The portal allows contractors a means to submit their Incurred Cost proposals electronically. There are three options available to contractors when uploading the incurred cost proposal:

• Submit a new proposal
• Update an existing proposal
• Withdraw a proposal

Topics: Incurred Cost Submission, Incurred Cost Proposals

The calendar year ended December 31^st and you are closing your books and gathering information for your incurred cost submission that is due June 30^th. There is one more requirement you should consider that may have been overlooked. Does your company meet the requirement to input IR&D costs into the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)?

Topics: Incurred Cost Submission, Incurred Cost Proposals, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), Accounting

What’s new in this long-standing area?

The FAR Council at long last issues final rule to implement the Trump Executive Order 13881, Maximizing Use of American-Made Goods, Products, and Materials. Only a few days later a Biden Executive Order 14005, Ensuring Future of America is Made in America by all of America’s Workers, hit the streets.

Topics: Business Systems Review, Cost and Pricing and Budgeting, Incurred Cost Submission, Small Business Compliance, Contracts Administration, Defense Contractors, DFARS Business Systems, Incurred Cost Proposals, DCAA Audit Support, FAR, Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR), Government Regulations, DOD Contractors

Contractors with cost reimbursable contracts that include the Allowable cost and payment clause, FAR 52.216-7 or Payments under Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour contracts clause, FAR 52.232-7, are required to submit an Incurred Cost Proposal for each fiscal year costs were incurred on any cost reimbursable contract. This incurred cost proposal is provided to your Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) with a deadline of six months after the Contractor’s fiscal year end. Once the Incurred Cost Proposal is received by DCAA, they review it for adequacy. DCAA provides a notification to the Contractor, typically via email, that the proposal is deemed adequate for audit or outlines changes DCAA believes are necessary. That is great to know it is adequate for audit but what does that mean? This means that DCAA has reviewed the incurred cost proposal and determined that the schedules are properly completed for them to begin the audit potentially.

Topics: Incurred Cost Submission, Small Business Compliance, Defense Contractors, Incurred Cost Proposals, Cost-Type Contracts, DCAA Audit Support, FAR

A Little Background

FAR Part 31, Cost Principles, is the regulation that government contractors must follow in order to account for cost on most government contracts. Within FAR Part 31 is FAR 31.205, Selected Costs. This part of the cost principles regulation specifically spells out unallowable cost that the government will not pay for under a government contract. This section starts at FAR 31.205-1 and goes all the way up to FAR 31.205-52. However, it should be noted that FAR 31.205-2, 5, 9, 24, 45, and 50 are “Reserved” – These reserved cost areas went the way of the dinosaur over time, hopefully not to return. For example, FAR 31.204-2, Automatic Data Processing Equipment Leasing Costs, required an annual demonstration that leasing computer equipment was cost-effective, i.e., lowest cost to the Federal Government.

Topics: Incurred Cost Submission, Contracts Administration, Defense Contractors, Government Compliance Training, Incurred Cost Proposals, Cost-Type Contracts, DCAA Audit Support, FAR, Government Regulations, DOD Contractors

What is a Contract Brief?

A contract brief is a document which identifies information about the contract, contract administration representatives and significant contract terms and conditions.

Topics: Incurred Cost Submission, Incurred Cost Proposals, Cost-Type Contracts, Accounting & Billing System

DCAA Takes the Lead Over OFPP

In 2013, Congress put in place a new process for the calculation and publication of the compensation limitation (Cap) for all federal contractor employees. The process places the responsibility to calculate and publish the cap using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Cost Index (ECI) data on the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). OFPP has failed in this responsibility for the last few years.

Topics: Contractor Employee Compensation, Incurred Cost Submission, Defense Contractors, Incurred Cost Proposals, Cost-Type Contracts, DCAA Audit Support, FAR, Government Regulations, DOD Contractors

As we wrap up another hectic year of working with contractors to prepare, review and submit their Incurred Cost Proposals, it had us questioning…“Why do so many contractors wait until the last minute of their deadline to submit? Is there an advantage to submitting at the last minute or is submitting at the last minute actually a disadvantage?”

Topics: Incurred Cost Submission, Contracts Administration, Defense Contractors, Incurred Cost Proposals, Cost-Type Contracts, FAR

Topics: Incurred Cost Submission, Incurred Cost Proposals