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Hot Topics (Part 9):  Property Accountability & FIAR

By Bill Kobren/February 22, 2022

Hot Topics (Part 9):  Property Accountability & FIAR

Information Dissemination
Bill Kobren

Welcome to part nine in our multi-part series of DAU LOG Blog posts highlighting a range of resources, references and related learning opportunities covering a range of critically important multi-disciplinary topics of interest to the defense acquisition workforce. So far, we have examined:

  • Supply Chain Resiliency & Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM)
  • Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing
  • Digital Engineering, Digital Acquisition and Digital Product Support
  • Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML)
  • Software Life Cycle Management & Agile Software Development
  • DevSecOps & Cloud Computing Operations
  • Cybersecurity
  • Intellectual Property and Data Rights, Technical Data, and Configuration Management

Today we will examine the critical interdisciplinary topics of property and equipment management, property accountability, and Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness/ Remediation (FIAR):

Key Definitions

  • Government Property - Property in the possession of, or directly acquired by, the Government and subsequently furnished to the Contractor for performance of a contract. Government-furnished property includes, but is not limited to, spares and property furnished for repair, maintenance, overhaul, or modification. Government-furnished property also includes contractor-acquired property if the contractor-acquired property is a deliverable under a cost contract when accepted by the Government for continued use under the contract. (Source: DAU Glossary)
  • Defense Property Accountability System (DPAS) - DPAS is a DoD property management system and is the Accountable Property System of Record (APSR) for over 32 DoD agencies (i.e. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) etc.) and military services. DPAS contains four modules, including Property Accountability, Maintenance & Utilization, Warehouse Management, and Materiel Management. This program is administered by the DLA Logistics Catalog and Data Solutions (LCDS), a portfolio of the Information Operations section of the DLA. (Source: DAU Glossary)

ACQuipedia Articles 

Training

Defense Property Accountability System (DPAS) Training

Additional Resources

Finally, an important reminder from our DAU Contracting Center’s Industrial Property Learning Director: All of “these terms are not synonymous. DoD Property Accountability is used to describe the Government's physical and fiscal accountability (supported by documentation). DoD equipment management and property management have more to do with how accountability is established, maintained, and reported. It also includes and how the property is controlled, used, and maintained. What sets "property management" and "equipment management" apart is that there are multiple classifications/categories of property, (e.g., material is a classification of property). If something specifically refers to "equipment" it implies that it is the only classification of property being addressed. Material, such as ammunition wouldn't be covered. To be audit ready, DoD property accountability (fiscal and physical), equipment management, and property management are needed to establish a complete and reliable audit trail that complies with documented process and applicable DoD instructions (e.g. DoD Instruction 5000.64) and other applicable policies, procedures, and regulations.”