United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-05-08 monographic deposited born digital 12 p. GA 1.13:T-RCED-96-157 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-96-157 P0b002ee18037f64b f:rc96157t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-96-157 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-96-157 T-RCED-96-157 Sole source contracts Public opinion polls Subcontracts Subcontractors Irregular procurement practices Surveys Political activities Public relations USDA Team Nutrition Initiative Food Stamp Program WIC Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children Testimony RCED GAO discussed contracting problems involving a Department of Agriculture (USDA) subcontract for surveying the general public's and food stamp recipients' views of food stamp reform initiatives. GAO noted that: (1) USDA did not use normal contracting practices in procuring the subcontracted services; (2) USDA conducted price and scope of work negotiations prior to official contract negotiations and bypassed the appropriate contracting office; (3) USDA should have conducted a separate competitive procurement for the services, since the work done by the subcontractor was outside the scope of work of the original contract; (4) USDA failed to obtain required approval from the Office of Management and Budget before conducting its survey; (5) the approach and methodology used in conducting the survey were inconsistent with achieving the desired purpose of the work; and (6) the subcontractor appeared to target areas and groups of political significance and asked leading questions to produce biased results. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-96-157/html/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-96-157.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-96-157/pdf/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-96-157.pdf GAO/T-RCED-96-157 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-96-157 Testimony GAO/T-RCED-96-157; Food Stamp Program: Focus Group Research and Procurement Problems; Sole source contracts Public opinion polls Subcontracts Subcontractors Irregular procurement practices Surveys Political activities Public relations USDA Team Nutrition Initiative Food Stamp Program WIC Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children