U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Continued Use of Other Transaction Agreements for Civil Works Research and Prototypes

What GAO Found

The Water Resources Development Act of 2018, as amended in 2022 (the 2022 act), authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to use other transaction (OT) agreements to carry out certain projects to support research activities for its Civil Works program. OT agreements are generally not subject to the same federal laws and regulations as procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants. OT agreements allow agencies more flexibility and help advance the development and use of new technologies more rapidly, which can help agencies to meet mission needs and project requirements.

The Corps's first civil works OT agreement was for the design of a prototype model of a waterway channel. Once assembled, this model will allow for research on hydraulic structures, such as testing the operation of lock gates and how they could fail. The Corps reported to GAO that, as of October 2025, the design was roughly 20 percent complete. Should the Corps determine that the design is satisfactory upon its completion, planned for April 2026, Corps officials expect to proceed with assembly of the model as a separate follow-on project. These officials said that for assembly of the model, they could choose to award a new follow-on OT agreement consistent with Corps's authority or a traditional contract subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation and other federal laws and regulations.

Additionally, in September 2025, the Corps awarded three more OT agreements to examine effects of harmful freshwater algal blooms on Corps infrastructure. The research to be conducted under these OT agreements will investigate innovative, cost-effective, and scalable technologies for early detection and management of algal blooms.

Why GAO Did This Study

The 2022 act authorized the Corps to use OT agreements for research and development to support its civilian civil works missions and authorities. This research can aid the Corps's management of its water resources infrastructure, such as dams and levees, by, for example, helping to mitigate the risks posed by natural disasters and severe weather.

The 2022 act includes a provision for GAO to annually report on the Corps's use of its OT authority for research supporting its Civil Works mission. In December 2024, GAO issued its second report on the Corps's use of this authority. This third report updates the status of the Corps's efforts since the 2024 report. GAO reviewed documents and conducted interviews with Corps and Department of the Army officials.

Contact: Hilary Benedict at [email protected].