U.S. government research and oversight bodies support Congress and federal agencies by evaluating government programs and expenditures to determine whether assets are spent efficiently and effectively. Each oversight body has a unique mandate and conducts its evaluations in conformity with its enabling legislation or at the request of Congress. However, many oversight bodies have concurrent authority over programs, agencies, and/or expenditures. Such is the situation here: each oversight body listed below has some authority to oversee government contracting for military and private security services.

• Commission on Wartime Contracting
• Congressional Budget Office
• Congressional Research Service
• Government Accountability Office 
• Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
• Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction
• U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General
• USAID Office of Inspector General
• U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General
• Defense Contract Audit Agency
• Defense Contract Management Agency
• Defense Science Board
• U.S. Army Audit Agency
• Naval Audit Service
• Air Force Audit Agency
• Specially Constituted Commissions