IG finds Army mismanaged contingency operations support contract

Logistics Civil Augementation Program Support Contract Needs to Comply with Aquisition Rules

by Robert Brodsky at Goverment Exec

Army procurement officials failed to properly manage a key support contract for contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, awarding millions of dollars of work without competition and disclosing bidders’ proprietary information without their knowledge or consent, according to a watchdog’s new report.

The report by the Defense Department inspector general found scores of internal control weaknesses associated with the Army Sustainment Command’s management of a support contract for the massive Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, which provides a host of services and in-theatre assistance to soldiers. Three firms — DynCorp International, Fluor Corp. and KBR — compete for task orders on the LOGCAP IV contract.

Serco Inc. of Vienna, Va., in February 2007 won a $117 million support contract to help the Army plan and estimate costs of task orders on the LOGCAP IV contract. But, according to auditors, Army officials allowed the scope of Serco’s contract to expand to non-LOGCAP requirements without taking the proper steps to ensure competition and prevent conflicts of interest.

Please read the entire article by Robert Brodsky here