Government Accountability Office
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The amount of money the Homeland Security Department spends on administratively uncontrollable overtime is on the rise. The Government Accountability Office says it's up about 30 percent since 2008. But the overtime management system DHS uses is having a hard time keeping up. Dave Maurer, director of homeland security and justice issues at the Government Accountability Office, tells In Depth with Francis Rose about ways to improve the system.
December 22, 2014 -
Reps. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairmen of the Veterans Affairs and Small Business committees, respectively, wrote to Anne Rung, OFPP administrator, saying agencies still are "misusing" reverse auctions to "evade competition and compliance with other procurement regulations."
December 17, 2014 -
About half of cabinet level agencies can prove to their Inspectors General that they're reducing improper payments. The Government Accountability Office reports some agencies continue to struggle, though. Jeff Steinhoff is executive director of the KPMG Government Institute, and former Assistant Comptroller General of the United States for Accounting and Information Management at the Government Accountability Office. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said agencies have made progress since 2009.
December 16, 2014 -
17 federal contractors each claim to know the best way to modernize the retirement system at the Office of Personnel Management. Those vendors pitched their ideas to OPM at an Industry Day earlier this year, and now the agency's gearing up for its fifth attempt to modernize its system. Valerie Melvin is Director of Information Management and Technology Resources Issues at the Government Accountability Office. On In Depth with Francis Rose, she said OPM needs to weigh its options carefully so the fifth try is the one that finally sticks.
December 15, 2014 -
NASA's launch and re-entry of its Orion space capsule proved the vehicle might safely carry people into deep space. Someday. But when? That's the question NASA faces as it tries to meet ambitious deadlines with limited funds. A big challenge is developing the vehicle, the rocket necessary to launch it past the moon and the ground station support so they're all ready at the same time. The Government Accountability Office has been on top of this. Christina Chaplain, the director of acquisition and sourcing management issues at GAO joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to examine the agency's findings.
December 15, 2014 -
Office of Personnel Management officials told the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Census about its plan to buy a case management system. The case management system will serve as the foundation for yet another attempt at modernizing the retirement system.
December 11, 2014 -
The Government Accountability Office denied the sixth and final protest of the OS3 strategic sourcing contract awards. GSA expects the contract to save the government $90 million a year.
December 08, 2014 -
The National Nuclear Security Administration has a guide for predicting how much its large projects will cost. But the agency's project managers don't know it exists, and it's not entirely their fault. That's according to David Trimble -- he's Director of Natural Resources and Environment Issues at the Government Accountability Office. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he suggested ways to improve NNSA's cost estimation process.
December 01, 2014 -
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services operate websites meant to help Medicare patients navigate the tangled world of health care providers. But the sites often fail at basic tasks. Auditors from the Government Accountability Office found some don't provide enough information to compare prices, while others don't give adequate information about quality of care. Linda Kohn is director of Healthcare Issues at the GAO. She joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to share more of what GAO found.
November 25, 2014 -
The Defense Department is getting better at handling its contract data. The Government Accountability Office says 32 of its 33 components turned in an inventory review of their contracts. GAO also says more DoD components are following its recommendations to improve their contract reporting. Tim DiNapoli is Director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues at GAO. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said the Pentagon's making progress, but it still has a way to go until it's perfect.
November 24, 2014 -
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) promises to avoid another government shutdown. Lawmakers have until mid-December to turn that promise into reality. Or not. It's a good idea to be prepared. The Government Accountability Office reviewed how agencies handled last year's lapse in appropriations. Yvonne Jones, the agency's director of Strategic Issues, explained the findings on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
November 24, 2014 -
The Government Accountability Office released its annual report showing vendors submitted 5 percent more protests in 2014 than in 2013. But the overall sustainment rate dropped significantly for the first time in five years.
November 20, 2014 -
GAO finds discrepancies in OPM data on union-related work by federal employees. OPM admits that official time reporting is not a priority.
November 19, 2014 -
Steph Warren, VA's CIO, said he moved money out of projects and into cybersecurity to ensure the agency gets rid of as many material weaknesses as they can. The decision to move money comes as Congress turns back up the heat on VA to correct long-standing and systemic cyber shortcomings.
November 18, 2014 -
Auditors say federally-run Native American schools need more oversight on spending. A report from the Government Accountability Office finds that the schools improperly spent nearly $14 million. In one case, a hacker transferred $1.7 million from a school to an off-shore bank account. Melissa Emrey-Arras is director of Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues at GAO. She joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss GAO's findings.
November 18, 2014