IRS | The Contracting Education Academy

March 14, 2019 By cs

IRS wasted $3.4 million on software it never used, watchdog says

IT management shortcomings led the IRS to waste millions of dollars on licenses and subscriptions for software agency officials never used, according to an internal watchdog.

Because it failed to follow federal acquisition requirements, the agency also deployed a software product that fell far short of its promised functionality, auditors said.

In a recent report, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found the IRS didn’t actively manage its IT assets or monitor the cost of the myriad software subscription and support packages used across the enterprise. As a result, the agency spent roughly $3.4 million between 2015 and 2017 on tools it didn’t need, auditors said.

They also found insufficient management caused the agency to lean too heavily on a separate package of software tools, which put it at risk of penalties and fines from the vendor, IBM.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nextgov.com/it-modernization/2019/03/irs-wasted-34-million-software-it-never-used-watchdog-says/155247/

November 5, 2018 By cs

FAS, IRS procure modern systems to streamline contracting processes

The Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are looking into modernizing their technical assets to modify and streamline their contracting processes, Federal News Network reported last week.

General Services Administration The administrator of the General Services Administration Emily Murphy noted at the 2018 ImagineNation ELC conference that she aims for FAS to rethink procurement operations as it simplifies its schedules program.

She added that technologies such as robotics process automation, machine learning and business process re-engineering will help contracting officers focus on procuring systems according to specific data and business needs.

FAS Commissioner Alan Thomas also disclosed at the conference that the service will leverage GSA’s CIO Application Maintenance, Enhancements, and Operations recompete effort to modernize contracting systems.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.executivegov.com/2018/10/fas-irs-procure-modern-systems-to-streamline-contracting-processes/

October 12, 2018 By cs

GAO reviews agency actions in the wake of Equifax data breach

It’s easy to forget that roughly a year ago, Equifax was hacked, which compromised the personal information of roughly 145.5 million individuals.

The scope of the breach was concerning for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that Equifax was providing identity verification services for three federal agencies at the time it was attacked.

In a recent report, GAO reviewed how these agencies responded to the attack. While not making any specific recommendations at this time, GAO’s report does highlight the extent to which federal agencies were not fully prepared for cyberattacks on private contractors.

Prior to the Equifax breach, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, and USPS contracted with Equifax to provide identity verification services. These agencies relied on Equifax’s databases to verify the identities of individuals applying for various services. For example, the IRS used Equifax servers to verify identities for tax return purposes.

Following the Equifax cyberattack, agencies took a variety of steps to assess the situation and make proactive changes to their contracts with Equifax. Foremost was notifying impacted individuals. While there was no breach of agency systems in connection with the Equifax attack, there was nevertheless concern that impacted individuals may have had an increased risk for identity theft. Accordingly, one of the first actions taken by the impacted agencies was to notify impacted individuals.

Keep reading this article at: http://smallgovcon.com/uncategorized/gao-reviews-agency-actions-in-the-wake-of-equifax-data-breach/

October 17, 2017 By cs

GAO denies Equifax bid protest on IRS contract

The Government Accountability Office Monday denied a bid protest embattled consumer credit reporting company Equifax filed with the IRS in July after it lost a taxpayer identification and verification services contract to Experian Information Solutions.

GAO’s decision allows the IRS to begin in earnest working with Experian on a one-year contract worth up to $795,000.

Last week, the IRS told lawmakers the pending protest was the reason it awarded Equifax a $7 million sole-source contract on Sept. 29 to continue providing critical services. The IRS quickly suspended the contract after lawmakers questioned why the agency would award such an important contract to a company that exposed the records of 145 million Americans in the fall.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2017/10/gao-denies-equifax-bid-protest-irs-contract/141807/

July 12, 2017 By cs

4 agencies try to reverse years of industry-government communication tartar

Three memos trying to bust contracting myths weren’t enough. Neither was a proposed rule in the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

But maybe, just maybe, the Homeland Security Department has found a break in the wire that has stopped the government and industry from effectively talking about, sharing and solving problems.

DHS held its fourth Reverse Industry Day on June 28 in Washington, D.C. as part of its Acquisition Innovation in Motion (AIiM) initiative.

“I wanted to get the government in the audience and industry up [on stage] sharing their perspective. What drives them? What motivates them? How do they view our solicitations? Not for the purposes of critiquing, but for our learning, so we could understand their perspective, we could put ourselves in industry’s shoes and have a better conversation. We are making that progress,” said Soraya Correa, the chief procurement officer at DHS, during the recent ACT-IAC Management of Change conference. “I now have program managers who pick up the phone and say, ‘I’m not real sure. I think we should talk to industry, but I don’t have a solicitation. Can we do that?’ That’s a great question. I’m like, ‘Yes, let’s go. Let’s have a conversation.’ You don’t need a piece of paper, and in fact, you are better off, because there is nothing to protest.”

The concept of holding a reverse industry day slowly is becoming a popular way to break down these barriers in a way no other idea has before.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsradio.com/reporters-notebook-jason-miller/2017/06/4-agencies-try-to-reverse-years-of-industry-government-communication-tartar/

IT management shortcomings led the IRS to waste millions of dollars on licenses and subscriptions for software agency officials never used, according to an internal watchdog.

The Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are looking into modernizing their technical assets to modify and streamline their contracting processes, Federal News Network reported last week.

It’s easy to forget that roughly a year ago, Equifax was hacked, which compromised the personal information of roughly 145.5 million individuals.

The Government Accountability Office Monday denied a bid protest embattled consumer credit reporting company Equifax filed with the IRS in July after it lost a taxpayer identification and verification services contract to Experian Information Solutions.

Three memos trying to bust contracting myths weren’t enough. Neither was a proposed rule in the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

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