While the agency had a fixed-price contract for maintenance of the kiosks, the IG found that the contractor had not performed any work on 24 of the 137 service tickets over an 18-month period. Image: Photo For Everything/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffIn a report that points out the challenges of customer self-service options that federal agencies have been turning to increasingly in lieu of in-person service, an inspector general audit has said that insufficient oversight of a contract to maintain kiosks at IRS taxpayer assistance centers left so many inoperable that the agency chose to cancel the program.
“The benefits of using kiosks include shorter wait times for taxpayers, and the ability to use Free File and other services not readily available at TACs. For instance, taxpayers can obtain prior year tax forms and apply for an Employer Identification Number online and receive the number before leaving the TAC,” it said.
However, that applies only if the kiosks are working, and in a review of 100 kiosks at 37 centers, the IG found that only 40 were operational, 55 were not, and the status of the other five could not be determined.
While the agency had a fixed-price contract for maintenance of the kiosks, the IG found that the contractor had not performed any work on 24 of the 137 service tickets over an 18-month period and the time that was needed to close the remaining 113 tickets ranged from 30 days or less to 463 days” with 28 requiring more than a year.
The report faulted the agency for “lack of proper oversight of the contract” that did not improve until the IG pointed out those issues, after which the agency gained access to the contractor’s service ticket tracking system and began having regular meetings with the contractor.
It added that as of last year the agency had planned to continue working with the contractor but that earlier this year—again, after the IG pointed out the issues—the IRS chose to not exercise the contract’s option year and to discontinue the kiosk program. The IG said that while it supported that decision, “we believe that offering taxpayers a self-service option could be beneficial as the IRS reduces and restructures its workforce.”
It said management agreed with a recommendation to assess the potential benefits and challenges of introducing a new program.
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