The Defense Department is not following its guidance for monitoring sole-source contracts, according to a report from the department’s Inspector General.

The services did not follow DOD guidance when awarding 31 contracts out of 78 competitive contracts reviewed. Of a total of $1 billion reviewed, the 31 contracts were valued at $656.1 million.

Problems included failure to advertise solicitations for 30 days or to determine price reasonableness, or both.

Sole-source offers accounted for $185 billion spent by DoD in fiscal 2011, according to the Project on Government Oversight.

“That’s a big chunk of contracts that were not actually competed,” Scott Amey, general counsel, wrote in the watchdog group’s blog.