FederalDaily - December 20, 2005
DoD Paying Contractors Unjustified Incentives
The Department of Defense (DoD) issued approximately $8 billion in incentives
to DoD contractors regardless of the outcome of the project, often giving incentives
for “average” and “satisfactory” deliverables, the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report to Congress last week.
DoD had also failed to compile data and conduct analysis on paid awards and
incentives to evaluate the effect of the additional fees on contractor performance.
In cases where the full award was not paid, more than half of the contractors
were given the opportunity to gain “unearned” or “deferred” awards,
totaling $669 million. GAO recommended that DoD ensure future incentive-based
contracts tie acquisition outcomes and compile and analyze incentive payment
data. DoD concurred or partially concurred with all of GAO’s recommendations.
The full report can be found at www.gao.gov/new.items/d0666.pdf.
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NTEU Applauds Overturning of CBP Policies
An arbitrator overruled changes made by the Bureau of Customs and Border Patrol
(CBP) that reduced the number of graveyard shift officers and caused a loss
in differential pay. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) applauded
the ruling which it felt violated federal labor law and the current CBP-NTEU
contract. CBP had made a local agreement affecting the rotation and shifts
of officers at the International Bridge in Presidio, Texas. Negotiations must
now take place at the national level. The arbitrator also ruled that CBP must
continue paying officers adversely affected by the policy change until CBP
negotiates a new, agreed-upon policy with NTEU.
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Former Fed Admits to Stealing Government Laptops
The Department of Justice announced that Basit Chaudhary, former supervisory
program manager for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) for the
Department of Labor (DOL), pleaded guilty this past Thursday to the theft of
12 government laptop computers valued at $24,000. In his plea agreement, Chaudhary
admitted to stealing the computers in 2003 and selling six of them to private
parties. Chaudhary also confessed that he later tried to replace six of the
computers with equipment he purchased privately. As part of the plea agreement,
Chaudhary will also provide restitution for the other six laptops. While an
employee with the DOL, Chaudhary’s responsibilities included verifying
that ETA’s expenditures were for official purposes only.
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DoD Discusses Anthrax Vaccine and Use with Military
Personnel
Dr. William Winkenwerder, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs,
commented publicly on the department’s use of the anthrax vaccine, noting
that the Food and Drug Administration confirmed the safety and effectiveness
of the vaccine. Winkenwerder also pointed out research by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the National Academy of Sciences that drew the same
conclusions. Winkenwerder did add that vaccinations will still be voluntary
for eligible military personnel. "The department's safety record in administering
the vaccine has been excellent and open to public scrutiny,” Winkenwerder
said. He added, "The threat of anthrax as a weapon remains real. It is
very important to provide our servicemembers with maximum protection against
this threat.”
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