The Department of Energy has processes in place to restrict contracts going to entities with tax delinquencies and those deemed non-responsible, but they could be improved, the Energy inspector general has said.
It said that from January 2010 – January 2012, Energy’s Office of Headquarters Procurement Services – Headquarters Procurement, and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Acquisition Management in the Albuquerque Complex – Albuquerque Procurement, awarded contracts totaling approximately $6 billion to 1,315 contractors.
The IG said it identified instances in which required offeror representations and certifications were either not completed or were not up-to-date at the time of contract award.
Further, key procurement documentation used in determining a bidder’s responsibility was not always included in the official contract files, as required by department policies and procedures.
The problems occurred partly because management did not ensure that procurement personnel consistently implemented controls designed to determine whether a contractor was responsible, the IG found, adding that management did not always ensure that the official contract files were properly maintained.
Department and NNSA management concurred with recommendations to address the weaknesses in the contractor self-certification process, according to the audit.
