GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service “needs to improve its award and administration controls to ensure consulting contracts are properly planned and approved, pricing is fair and reasonable, and project costs are controlled,” the agency IG has said.
The IG did the report at the request of a now former official who asked auditors to examine whether problems they had identified in a prior report involving the use of consulting contracts by another GSA subdivision, the Public Buildings Service, also were present at the FAS. The problems at the PBS included a lack of measurable deliverables, poorly defined statements of work, failure to receive adequate value for expended funds, and noncompliance with Federal Acquisition Regulation requirements applicable to acquisition planning, competition, and price reasonableness.
In a sample of 17 FAS contracts, the IG found that the agency received deliverables in each case and that they enhanced its operation. However, four of the contracts did not fully comply with FAR requirements and two did not comply with FAS internal policies and procedures.
The FAS agreed with recommendations that it ensure that contracting actions for consulting services comply with the FAR and FAS policies and procedures.
