Procurement Close-up: DHS drowning in paperwork
Nov 30, 2006 3:16 PM
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has serious problems with contractual recordkeeping and follow-up, the Washington Post has reported.
The newspaper obtained a report by Acquisitions Solutions, a private consultancy firm that reviewed the department's near $17.5 billion in spending in fiscal 2005.
The company asked for 72 contracts to examine, but 33 couldn't be found and 33 others were substituted, the report said.
"The inability to locate files and inconsistent file organization puts the government at risk in ensuring the contractor is fulfilling its contractual obligations and the government is meeting its contract administration responsibilities," the consultants wrote.
Just 14 contract files were rated "excellent," while 47 met only "minimum" standards and showed little evidence of fair and reasonable pricing or supervision by DHS officials. The remaining 11 files were "seriously inadequate," with key documents missing or incomplete, the consultants said.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., expected to assume chairmanship of the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said he wants to hold hearings on DHS contracting next year, the Post reports.
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