OFPP issues policy requiring training for support workers

Employees assigned to support contracting officers now must meet common training standards, as procurement officials attempt to tie together the diverse parts of the acquisition process.

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy has set up a new program that establishes a training program for contracting officer technical representatives. It also standardizes the training and skills necessary for the job. The program requires COTRs to meet certain competencies for certification and maintain their certification through continuous learning.

COTRs follow up on contracts after they’re awarded, watching for problems that may arise. They also help the contracting officer and program manager keep things working smoothly.

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IG: DOD fails on competition

The Defense Department awarded numerous task orders without competition, and it failed to justify why officials went outside of the department for acquisition services, a new report found.

The DOD inspector general audited 98 task orders worth $33.2 million in commercial supplies purchased through the National Institutes of Health’s Electronic Commodities Store III governmentwide acquisition contract. Of those orders, 95 failed to afford all contractors a chance to bid. And on 31 of the orders, contracting officers did not document their reasons for the award, the report states.

“Competition was limited, and DOD did not have assurance it received the best value when procuring goods,” the IG concludes.

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Procurement chief chides IGs

The Office of Management and Budget’s Paul Denett said some agency inspectors general are emboldened now more than in the past, often to the point of essentially directing agencies’ programs.

Denett, administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, said he believes some IGs are overstepping the boundaries of their statutory role, adding that “they get aggravating sometimes.”

Those comments, which Denett made at a recent industry conference, highlight the growing strained relations between IGs and the agencies they oversee. Auditors and procurement experts say the relationship has become tense at some agencies.

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