Management of Young Adult Conservation Corps

The question of whether the actual management of the Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) may be carried out by a contractor was addressed. The purpose of the YACC is to provide employment and other benefits to youths who would not otherwise be productively employed. A particular concern was the propriety of contracting out the management, supervision, and discipline responsibilities because these duties could be characterized as personal services, which must be performed by federal personnel. The contracting officer stated that in this case there were no government employees available to perform the management services in question. These services also appeared to be an integral part of a larger task which necessarily entailed a number of clearly nonpersonal services. The question was also raised concerning the obligation and expenditure of funds from 1 fiscal year for a service contract when the bulk of the services would be provided in the next fiscal year. It was held in this case, that heads of executive departments have the inherent authority to provide by contract the needed services except for the selection of enrollees. It was also held that this contract may cover only services required to be performed in the current fiscal year and may not cross fiscal year lines.