Less Sole-Source, More Competition Needed on Federal Civil Agencies' Contracting
PLRD-82-40
Published: Apr 07, 1982. Publicly Released: Apr 20, 1982.
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Highlights
GAO was asked to examine a sample of six civil agencies' new sole-source contract awards to assess the adequacy of the sole-source decisions.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement awards and specifically should: (1) require a market search for competitive sources before approving a sole-source justification, unless specified conditions are met; (2) require that the market search include publicizing a preaward notice in the Commerce Business Daily which invites competition on the prime contract, unless one of the regulatory exceptions to publicizing applies; and (3) describe the criteria that must be met to justify sole-source procurement. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of the Interior | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement awards and specifically should: (1) require a market search for competitive sources before approving a sole-source justification, unless specified conditions are met; (2) require that the market search include publicizing a preaward notice in the Commerce Business Daily which invites competition on the prime contract, unless one of the regulatory exceptions to publicizing applies; and (3) describe the criteria that must be met to justify sole-source procurement. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Transportation | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement awards and specifically should: (1) require a market search for competitive sources before approving a sole-source justification, unless specified conditions are met; (2) require that the market search include publicizing a preaward notice in the Commerce Business Daily which invites competition on the prime contract, unless one of the regulatory exceptions to publicizing applies; and (3) describe the criteria that must be met to justify sole-source procurement. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Heads of Federal Agencies | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement awards and specifically should: (1) require a market search for competitive sources before approving a sole-source justification, unless specified conditions are met; (2) require that the market search include publicizing a preaward notice in the Commerce Business Daily which invites competition on the prime contract, unless one of the regulatory exceptions to publicizing applies; and (3) describe the criteria that must be met to justify sole-source procurement. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement awards and specifically should: (1) require a market search for competitive sources before approving a sole-source justification, unless specified conditions are met; (2) require that the market search include publicizing a preaward notice in the Commerce Business Daily which invites competition on the prime contract, unless one of the regulatory exceptions to publicizing applies; and (3) describe the criteria that must be met to justify sole-source procurement. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Energy | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement award and specifically should require: (1) a written sole-source justification for each new award over $10,000 to document the facts and circumstances substantiating the infeasibility of competition; (2) major agencies to establish and maintain effective procurement planning systems; and (3) that agency requesting officials notify procurement offices as soon as requirements become known to maximize the time available for conducting the market search and obtaining competition. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of the Interior | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement award and specifically should require: (1) a written sole-source justification for each new award over $10,000 to document the facts and circumstances substantiating the infeasibility of competition; (2) major agencies to establish and maintain effective procurement planning systems; and (3) that agency requesting officials notify procurement offices as soon as requirements become known to maximize the time available for conducting the market search and obtaining competition. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information..
|
| Department of Transportation | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement award and specifically should require: (1) a written sole-source justification for each new award over $10,000 to document the facts and circumstances substantiating the infeasibility of competition; (2) major agencies to establish and maintain effective procurement planning systems; and (3) that agency requesting officials notify procurement offices as soon as requirements become known to maximize the time available for conducting the market search and obtaining competition. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Heads of Federal Agencies | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement award and specifically should require: (1) a written sole-source justification for each new award over $10,000 to document the facts and circumstances substantiating the infeasibility of competition; (2) major agencies to establish and maintain effective procurement planning systems; and (3) that agency requesting officials notify procurement offices as soon as requirements become known to maximize the time available for conducting the market search and obtaining competition. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Veterans Administration | The Administrator of the General Services Administration should amend the Federal Procurement Regulations to clearly set forth standards for measuring accountability in obtaining competition on procurement award and specifically should require: (1) a written sole-source justification for each new award over $10,000 to document the facts and circumstances substantiating the infeasibility of competition; (2) major agencies to establish and maintain effective procurement planning systems; and (3) that agency requesting officials notify procurement offices as soon as requirements become known to maximize the time available for conducting the market search and obtaining competition. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information..
|
| Department of Energy | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System should take other specific actions to correct the problems identified. They should effectively communicate a strong commitment to competition to personnel throughout their agencies by: (1) increasing the effectiveness of the required reviews of sole-source decisions, ensuring that they are made, improving the documentation to sole-source justifications, and implementing other recommendations suggested in this report which should help improve the quality of these reviews; (2) reducing the number of unjustified sole-source contracts evolving from unsolicited proposals; and (3) ensuring that contract specifications are not unnecessarily restrictive and that competition is fostered to the maximum extent practical in subsequent procurements after previous noncompetitive awards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information..
|
| Department of the Interior | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System should take other specific actions to correct the problems identified. They should effectively communicate a strong commitment to competition to personnel throughout their agencies by: (1) increasing the effectiveness of the required reviews of sole-source decisions, ensuring that they are made, improving the documentation to sole-source justifications, and implementing other recommendations suggested in this report which should help improve the quality of these reviews; (2) reducing the number of unjustified sole-source contracts evolving from unsolicited proposals; and (3) ensuring that contract specifications are not unnecessarily restrictive and that competition is fostered to the maximum extent practical in subsequent procurements after previous noncompetitive awards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Transportation | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System should take other specific actions to correct the problems identified. They should effectively communicate a strong commitment to competition to personnel throughout their agencies by: (1) increasing the effectiveness of the required reviews of sole-source decisions, ensuring that they are made, improving the documentation to sole-source justifications, and implementing other recommendations suggested in this report which should help improve the quality of these reviews; (2) reducing the number of unjustified sole-source contracts evolving from unsolicited proposals; and (3) ensuring that contract specifications are not unnecessarily restrictive and that competition is fostered to the maximum extent practical in subsequent procurements after previous noncompetitive awards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Heads of Federal Agencies | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System should take other specific actions to correct the problems identified. They should effectively communicate a strong commitment to competition to personnel throughout their agencies by: (1) increasing the effectiveness of the required reviews of sole-source decisions, ensuring that they are made, improving the documentation to sole-source justifications, and implementing other recommendations suggested in this report which should help improve the quality of these reviews; (2) reducing the number of unjustified sole-source contracts evolving from unsolicited proposals; and (3) ensuring that contract specifications are not unnecessarily restrictive and that competition is fostered to the maximum extent practical in subsequent procurements after previous noncompetitive awards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Veterans Administration | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System should take other specific actions to correct the problems identified. They should effectively communicate a strong commitment to competition to personnel throughout their agencies by: (1) increasing the effectiveness of the required reviews of sole-source decisions, ensuring that they are made, improving the documentation to sole-source justifications, and implementing other recommendations suggested in this report which should help improve the quality of these reviews; (2) reducing the number of unjustified sole-source contracts evolving from unsolicited proposals; and (3) ensuring that contract specifications are not unnecessarily restrictive and that competition is fostered to the maximum extent practical in subsequent procurements after previous noncompetitive awards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Energy | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System, the Director of the Federal Procurement Data Center, and the Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy should, to improve the accuracy and completeness of the data system: (1) institute a quality control program, including periodic sampling of agency data; (2) improve data entry and corrections procedures; (3) resolve inconsistencies between the system's requirements and the agencies' own systems; (4) provide training to appropriate personnel concerning system definitions and procedures; and (5) hold contracting officers accountable for ensuring that correct and complete data are promptly entered into the system on each of their contract actions by providing feedback on the coding errors for their contracts and assessing their performance. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of the Interior | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System, the Director of the Federal Procurement Data Center, and the Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy should, to improve the accuracy and completeness of the data system: (1) institute a quality control program, including periodic sampling of agency data; (2) improve data entry and corrections procedures; (3) resolve inconsistencies between the system's requirements and the agencies' own systems; (4) provide training to appropriate personnel concerning system definitions and procedures; and (5) hold contracting officers accountable for ensuring that correct and complete data are promptly entered into the system on each of their contract actions by providing feedback on the coding errors for their contracts and assessing their performance. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Transportation | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System, the Director of the Federal Procurement Data Center, and the Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy should, to improve the accuracy and completeness of the data system: (1) institute a quality control program, including periodic sampling of agency data; (2) improve data entry and corrections procedures; (3) resolve inconsistencies between the system's requirements and the agencies' own systems; (4) provide training to appropriate personnel concerning system definitions and procedures; and (5) hold contracting officers accountable for ensuring that correct and complete data are promptly entered into the system on each of their contract actions by providing feedback on the coding errors for their contracts and assessing their performance. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Heads of Federal Agencies | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System, the Director of the Federal Procurement Data Center, and the Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy should, to improve the accuracy and completeness of the data system: (1) institute a quality control program, including periodic sampling of agency data; (2) improve data entry and corrections procedures; (3) resolve inconsistencies between the system's requirements and the agencies' own systems; (4) provide training to appropriate personnel concerning system definitions and procedures; and (5) hold contracting officers accountable for ensuring that correct and complete data are promptly entered into the system on each of their contract actions by providing feedback on the coding errors for their contracts and assessing their performance. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Veterans Administration | Heads of all Federal departments and agencies participating in the Federal Procurement Data System, the Director of the Federal Procurement Data Center, and the Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy should, to improve the accuracy and completeness of the data system: (1) institute a quality control program, including periodic sampling of agency data; (2) improve data entry and corrections procedures; (3) resolve inconsistencies between the system's requirements and the agencies' own systems; (4) provide training to appropriate personnel concerning system definitions and procedures; and (5) hold contracting officers accountable for ensuring that correct and complete data are promptly entered into the system on each of their contract actions by providing feedback on the coding errors for their contracts and assessing their performance. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
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Competitive procurementContract authorityData integrityFederal procurement policyInformation systemsInternal controlsProcurement regulationsSole source procurementProcurementSmall business