GSA Procurement:
Are Prices Negotiated for Multiple Award Schedules Reasonable?
GGD-86-99BR: Published: Jul 8, 1986. Publicly Released: Jul 22, 1986.
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In response to a congressional request, GAO surveyed the General Services Administration's (GSA) price negotiations for multiple award schedule (MAS) contracts to determine if GSA: (1) complied with existing laws and regulations when purchasing goods and services for user agencies; and (2) obtained fair and reasonable prices.
GAO noted that GSA generally complied with procurement laws and regulations in negotiating MAS contracts, except for two areas concerning contracting officers': (1) determinations of the contractors' need to provide cost or pricing data in support of their proposed prices; and (2) preparation of price negotiation memoranda. GSA awards MAS contracts only to bidders offering prices equal to or better than what the offerers grant to their most favored customers (MFC). GAO found that, in 19 of the 20 contracts it sampled, GSA negotiators obtained MFC pricing or justified obtaining less favorable prices. GAO also found that GSA could have taken several actions to obtain even better prices for MAS items, including: (1) ensuring adequate Inspector General audit coverage of offerers' price proposals; (2) having negotiators perform more thorough price analyses of offerers' price proposals by using additional price analysis techniques, and (3) having negotiators attempt to obtain the best possible prices.
Feb 3, 2021
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Fixed-Price-Incentive Contracts:
DOD Has Increased Their Use but Should Assess Contributions to OutcomesGAO-21-181: Published: Feb 3, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 3, 2021.
Jan 29, 2021
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Federal Real Property:
Additional Documentation of Decision Making Could Improve Transparency of New Disposal ProcessGAO-21-233: Published: Jan 29, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 29, 2021.
Jan 19, 2021
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Federal Rulemaking:
Selected EPA and HHS Regulatory Analyses Met Several Best Practices, but CMS Should Take Steps to Strengthen Its AnalysesGAO-21-151: Published: Dec 17, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 19, 2021.
Jan 13, 2021
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Department of Energy Contracting:
Improvements Needed to Ensure DOE Assesses Its Full Range of Contracting Fraud RisksGAO-21-44: Published: Jan 13, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 13, 2021.
Dec 16, 2020
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Data Governance:
Agencies Made Progress in Establishing Governance, but Need to Address Key MilestonesGAO-21-152: Published: Dec 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 16, 2020.
Dec 9, 2020
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2020 Census:
The Bureau Concluded Field Work but Uncertainty about Data Quality, Accuracy, and Protection RemainsGAO-21-206R: Published: Dec 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 9, 2020.
Dec 3, 2020
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2020 Census:
Census Bureau Needs to Assess Data Quality Concerns Stemming from Recent Design ChangesGAO-21-142: Published: Dec 3, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 3, 2020. -
2020 Census:
Census Bureau Needs to Ensure Transparency over Data QualityGAO-21-262T: Published: Dec 3, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 3, 2020.
Nov 30, 2020
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Federal Buying Power:
OMB Can Further Advance Category Management Initiative by Focusing on Requirements, Data, and TrainingGAO-21-40: Published: Nov 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 30, 2020.
Nov 24, 2020
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Disaster Response:
Agencies Should Assess Contracting Workforce Needs and Purchase Card Fraud RiskGAO-21-42: Published: Nov 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 24, 2020.
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