Lawmakers say they will insist that the Library of Congress make
substantial changes to its contracting operations after the release of
what one Member called a “damning” report by the agency’s inspector
general.
The House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing this morning to hear testimony from senior LOC officials regarding the findings of a March audit report conducted by IG Karl Schornagel in conjunction with Jefferson Solutions consulting firm.
The report concluded that the Office of Contracts and Grants Management has not been responsible in its management of funds in awarding contracts to outside organizations providing services at the LOC. Contracting funds account for about a third, or more than $200 million, of the LOC’s overall annual budget.
The report found “numerous technical deficiencies at critical steps in the acquisition process, such as the lack of adequate planning; failure to conduct market research; [and] a gross lack of competition (of the 129 randomly selected contracts valued at $52 million, more than half were awarded noncompetitively).”
These factors, Schornagel said today, could be leading to a vast waste of taxpayer dollars.
“The library cannot claim that it is paying fair and reasonable prices for its goods and services, or even that it is not making improper or inappropriate purchase,” he told the subcommittee. “The library may very well be paying a high or unreasonable price for the supplies and services it purchase.”
Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/lawmakers_promise_action_in_response_to_scathing_library_of_congress_report-216288-1.html?pos=hbtxt
The House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing this morning to hear testimony from senior LOC officials regarding the findings of a March audit report conducted by IG Karl Schornagel in conjunction with Jefferson Solutions consulting firm.
The report concluded that the Office of Contracts and Grants Management has not been responsible in its management of funds in awarding contracts to outside organizations providing services at the LOC. Contracting funds account for about a third, or more than $200 million, of the LOC’s overall annual budget.
The report found “numerous technical deficiencies at critical steps in the acquisition process, such as the lack of adequate planning; failure to conduct market research; [and] a gross lack of competition (of the 129 randomly selected contracts valued at $52 million, more than half were awarded noncompetitively).”
These factors, Schornagel said today, could be leading to a vast waste of taxpayer dollars.
“The library cannot claim that it is paying fair and reasonable prices for its goods and services, or even that it is not making improper or inappropriate purchase,” he told the subcommittee. “The library may very well be paying a high or unreasonable price for the supplies and services it purchase.”
Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/lawmakers_promise_action_in_response_to_scathing_library_of_congress_report-216288-1.html?pos=hbtxt
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