Monitoring | The Contracting Education Academy

March 16, 2015 By cs

Pentagon acquisition bosses ‘ho-hum’ on multiple reviews for passing milestones

Defense Department major weapons buyers could streamline the acquisition process by eliminating some reviews in the years-long phase for passing each procurement milestone, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found.

“The process in some instances can include up to 56 organizations at eight levels and accounts for about half of the time needed to complete information requirements,” the watchdog said in a report released Tuesday.

Interviews with 24 program managers and participating organizations on major procurements such as aircraft showed that most “did not think these reviews added significant value to the documentation,” GAO said. “The program managers considered the value added to 10 percent of the documentation to be high,” GAO said in report required by the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act. “However, for the remaining 90 percent of the documents, the officials believed the reviews did not add high value.”Sixty-one percent said they provided moderate value while 29 percent said they provided less than moderate.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/contracting/2015/02/pentagon-acquisition-bosses-ho-hum-multiple-reviews-passing-milestones/106221

March 13, 2015 By cs

DoD doesn’t know cost or performance of non-major acquisition programs, GAO says

The Defense Department doesn’t have the information to determine the cost or performance of its non-major acquisition programs, says a March 2 Government Accountability Office report.

These non-major programs, called category II and III programs, range from a multibillion dollar aircraft radar modernization program to soldier clothing and protective equipment programs in the tens of millions of dollars, the report says.

GAO found that the accuracy, completeness and consistency of DOD’s data on these programs were undermined by widespread data entry issues, missing data and inconsistent identification of current category II and III programs.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/dod-doesnt-know-cost-or-performance-non-major-acquisition-programs-gao-says/2015-03-03

GAO Report 15-188 can be downloaded here: http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/668783.pdf

December 31, 2014 By cs

Report: How unaccountable contracting fails governments and taxpayers

Contracting-out government services is a topic that stays in the news.

Units of local, state and the federal government usually are prompted to consider a contracting-out strategy as a means to save money. It’s not unusual for such plans to be challenged by government workers, labor unions, and even taxpayers who think that good paying jobs will be eliminated and savings really won’t be realized.

But what about when a service is outsourced to the private sector. Is it given the oversight and analysis that its should be afforded? More directly, how carefully are contractors being watched?

Now, a non-profit organization devoted to the study of privatization and responsible contracting called In the Public Interest, has published a comprehensive report entitled, “Standing Guard: How Unaccountable Contracting Fails Governments and Taxpayers.”

The report makes the point that when local and state governments contract-out critical public services that are crucial to the well-being of the community, the need for robust contract oversight is pressing. However, research and the experiences of cities and states across the county show that too often contract oversight is lax.

Oversight is important so that government can hold contractors accountable for their performance, and ensure that the public receives quality services at a reasonable cost. Proper oversight can protect public health and safety. Strong oversight allows governments to catch waste, fraud, and abuse in real time instead of long after the fact, and correct mistakes before they result in serious harm.

To download and read the complete report, click here: http://www.inthepublicinterest.org/sites/default/files/Standing%20Guard.pdf

November 7, 2014 By cs

Cloud service contracts lack needed clauses, security standards not met

A review of cloud computing services in the Commerce Department found missing clauses in contractors’ agreements to permit reviews of their facilities and operations, as well as lack of compliance with federal security standards.

In examining a sample of cloud service contracts from three bureaus, the department’s inspector general found that four did not contain a specific Commerce Department clause that would allow its investigators access to the provider’s facilities, installations, operations, documentation, databases and personnel that would be used to perform such services. As a result, the IG would not be able to conduct inspections, investigations, audits and other reviews.

Additionally, one contract did not contain a Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause that would permit the agency access to a service provider’s installations, documentation, records and databases, which is needed to make sure that government data remains secure and confidential, according to an IG memo dated Oct. 14, 2014.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernmentit.com/story/commerce-ig-cloud-service-contracts-lack-needed-clauses-security-standards/2014-10-20

August 13, 2014 By cs

IG: USPS facility nearly 4 months late paying contractors

The Postal Service made payments nearly four months late to contractors shipping mail out of the Indianapolis processing and distribution facility, a recently released USPS inspector general report says.

The distribution center did not process about $74,000 in exceptional service payments in a timely manner over the eight month period from June 2013 through January 2014, the report says. The Postal Service gives bonuses to contractors who provide exceptional service, including changes in normally scheduled transportation operations including extra trips and late leaving trips.

“Management stated that contractors were alarmed by the frequency and amount of payments the Postal Service owed them and were looking for assistance to resolve these payment issues,” the report says.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/ig-usps-facility-nearly-4-months-late-paying-contractors/2014-08-06

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