What is DCAA New Auditor Training?

DCAA knows that no one starts as a new auditor knowing exactly what DCAA contract auditing is. That’s why we invest in our employees, offering unparalleled focused training programs to set them up for success.

So what exactly will you encounter during new auditor training?

We call the progression of training programs the New Hire Continuum, and it breaks down into 3 broader sections:

Initial Auditor Training

On your first day as a DCAA employee, you will begin a two-week New Hire Onboarding at DCAA’s Defense Contract Audit Institute (DCAI). This is typically held in Atlanta, Georgia—but onboarding is currently being held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions.

• The first week will cover Agency-wide onboarding, including logistics, HR training, and receiving necessary materials like your laptop and ID (Common Access Card or CAC). Non-auditors attend only this week.
• The second week dives into an introduction of contract auditing and responsibilities.

You will return to DCAI for two more two-week training sessions within your first six months.

1. Basic Contract Audit Skills - Covers basic concepts, techniques, and procedures of DCAA contract auditing. Topics include audit standards, types of costs, field work, and reporting.
2. Audit Applications - Prepares auditors to use audit methodologies to plan and conduct an Incurred Cost audit and a Forward Pricing audit.

Between training sessions, you will also receive On-the-Job Training (OJT) from supervisors at your office.

Required Job Certifications

In your second and third years at DCAA, you’ll also be achieving these three required job certifications and compliances in your training:

• DoD Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Certification.
• DoD Financial Management (FM) Certification.
• Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) Certification.

Opportunities Beyond Initial Training

Beyond the first six months of training, and by the end of their third year, new auditors must take five mandatory and two elective courses that focus on their specific responsibilities.

Mandatory courses cover data analytics, cost accounting, statistical sampling, and systems acquisition management. Auditors choose elective courses from a wide variety of options, including effective audit reports, regression analysis, truth in negotiation audits, and more.

Check out all the offerings available to new auditors in DCAA’s FY2021 Course Catalog or read more about DCAA Auditor Training here!