United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2000-03-20 monographic deposited born digital 40 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-00-56 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-56 P0b002ee180379804 f:ns00056 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-56 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-56 NSIAD-00-56 Procurement practices Defense procurement ADP procurement Department of Defense contractors Indefinite delivery contracts Contract oversight Letter Report NSIAD S00056 Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Defense's use of large orders under multiple-award contracts to acquire information technology products and services, focusing on: (1) whether contractors were provided a fair opportunity to be considered and the extent of competition realized; and (2) how ordering offices met requirements to clearly specify the tasks to be performed or property to be delivered under the orders.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) many of the 22 large orders GAO reviewed were awarded without competing proposals having been received; (2) agencies made frequent use of the statutory exceptions to the fair opportunity requirement; (3) further, contractors frequently did not submit proposals when provided an opportunity to do so; (4) only one proposal was received in 16 of the 22 cases--the 16 cases all involved incumbent contractors and represented about $444 million of the total $553 million awarded; (5) contractor representatives told GAO that if program officials were interested in receiving competing proposals, then more outreach activities--such as meetings with potential contractors to explain requirements--should be conducted; (6) work descriptions for most orders reviewed defined tasks broadly; (7) most of these orders were for information technology services and frequently covered several years of effort; (8) because the work was broadly defined, the orders did not establish fixed prices for the work but provided for reimbursement of contractors' costs; (9) further, several broadly defined orders were later defined by sole-source work orders; and (10) according to program officials, specifying the information technology services that will be required in future years involves considerable uncertainty. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-56/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-56.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-56/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-56.pdf GAO/NSIAD-00-56 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-00-56 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-00-56; Contract Management: Few Competing Proposals for Large DOD; Procurement practices Defense procurement ADP procurement Department of Defense contractors Indefinite delivery contracts Contract oversight Public Law 103-355 Public Law 106-65 S. Rept. 103-258