IRS Procurement: Software Documentation Requirement Did Not Restrict Competition
IMTEC-92-30
Published: Mar 02, 1992. Publicly Released: Apr 06, 1992.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) efforts to acquire the Check Handling Enhancements and Expert System (CHEXS), an automated system to process tax remittances, focusing on whether: (1) software documentation requirements were justified; and (2) those requirements improperly restricted competition.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Revenue Service | The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should amend IRS contracting procedures to require that all future solicitations clearly indicate that the software documentation requirements apply to all software for which IRS expects to assume maintenance responsibility, including pre-existing and off-the-shelf software. |
Closed – Implemented
IRS agreed with the recommendation, and in February 1992, IRS amended the RFP for the Document Processing System as suggested by GAO. The agency issued guidelines in November 1993, Systems Information Bulletin Number 67, which clearly states IRS software documentation requirements for internally and externally developed software.
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Topics
Application softwareDefective solicitationsIT acquisitionsSoftware documentationSolicitation modificationsTax administration systemsInformation resources managementSoftwareSolicitationsProcurement