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Audit of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, Administration of Selected Information Technology Contracts

AUD-CGI-17-38
    Report Contents
    Unclassified
    Category
    Locations
    Bureaus/Offices
    Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, develop and implement internal policies and procedures governing contract administration. At a minimum, the policies and procedures should include guidance detailing the required use of SharePoint for Contracting Officer's Representative files, such as the type and extent of documentation to maintain, expected timelines for adding documents, and standardized methods for organizing and naming documents. The policy should also include guidance on (1) transferring data to new Contracting Officer's Representatives or Government Task Monitors, (2) validating key personnel identified in contracts and taking action when a contractor does not comply with key personnel requirements, and (3) reviewing and approving invoices. These policies and procedures should be implemented by the end of FY 2018.

    Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, develop and implement training for Contracting Officer's Representatives and Government Technical Monitors that identifies the requirements for reviewing various types of invoices, including a requirement to confirm that contractors meet the labor category requirements specified in the contracts.

    Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, develop and implement a formal process to monitor Contracting Officer’s Representatives and Government Task Monitors who are administering contracts. At a minimum, this process should include steps to assess files in SharePoint to ensure that required documents are included and to ensure that all Contracting Officer's Representatives and Government Task Monitors are formally designated by the Contracting Officer.

    Recommendation Number
    4
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, develop and implement a process to communicate information on roles and responsibilities to new Contracting Officer's Representatives and Government Task Monitors.

    Recommendation Number
    5
    Closed Implemented $16,227,210 Significant

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, (a) determine whether the $16,227,210 in questioned costs (consisting of $222,621 in unallowable costs and $16,004,589 in unsupported costs as listed in Table B.1 of Appendix B) identified during the review of invoices for the Data Engineering Data Management contract (SAQMMA14F1031) are allowable and supported, and (b) recover any costs determined to be unallowable or unsupported.

    Recommendation Number
    6
    Closed Implemented $8,860,952 Significant

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, (a) determine whether the $8,860,952 in questioned costs (all of which was considered unsupported as listed in Table B.2 of Appendix B) identified during the review of invoices for the American Citizen Services Support contract (SAQMMA14L0531) are supported, and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported.

    Recommendation Number
    7
    Closed Implemented $1,129,393 Significant

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, (a) determine whether the $1,129,393 in questioned costs (consisting of $699,340 in unallowable costs and $430,053 in unsupported costs as listed in Table B.3 of Appendix B) identified during the review of invoices for the Consular Lookout and Support System contract (SAQMMA12C0212) are allowable and supported, and (b) recover any costs determined to be unallowable or unsupported.

    Recommendation Number
    8
    Closed Implemented $2,135,713 Significant

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, (a) determine whether the $2,135,713 in questioned costs (all of which was considered unallowable as listed in Table B.4 of Appendix B) identified during the review of invoices for the Passport Support Services contract (SAQMMA13L0327) are allowable, and (b) recover any costs determined to be unallowable.

    Recommendation Number
    9
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology, (a) conduct a review to determine whether contractor personnel under the firm fixed price component of the Passport Support Services contract (SAQMMA13L0327) meet the education and certification requirements of the contract, (b) perform an analysis to determine the dollar-value of any payments made to the contractor for work performed by personnel deemed unqualified according to the contract requirements, and (c) recover any costs determined to be unallowable.