The National Treasury Employees Union objected to OMB’s
figures, saying they to do not provide Congress with
an accurate picture,” and arguing that OMB’s guidance
“for compiling these reports do not allow for
contracting out costs to be accurately defined by
federal agencies.”
OMB said the figures are based on “data developed by
agencies,” and individually reported to Congress in
accordance with guidance in the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, and its own guidance related to
the President’s Management Agenda.
The union said the cover letter accompanying the OMB
guidance only instructs agencies to report on successful
competitions, keeping Congress in the dark about failed
outsourcing efforts — additionally, said NTEU, “none
of the costs associated with government-mandated work
done prior to announcing a competition are in OMB’s
report to Congress, and this work can take up to six months.”
There is no guarantee that the anticipated savings OMB
reports on will ever be seen, NTEU said.
