A new report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) found that Internal Revenue Service (IRS) IT procurement controls need improvements for cost effectiveness and efficiency.
TIGTA reviewed a sample of 56 total awarded contracts and executed delivery orders to obtain IT software and hardware procurement information. It found nine within the sample that were associated with one indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract that the IRS could have obtained at a lower cost.
“TIGTA estimates that the IRS could have saved $122,803 had is used a General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule to purchase the hardware,” the report said.
TIGTA recommended that a product or service be requested by the Chief Procurement Officer to “ensure that sufficient market research is completed to support the contract vehicle used.” It also recommends that the Chief Procurement Officer ensure the following:
- “contract file content reviews are timely and regularly conducted to confirm that documentation is complete, organized, current, consistent, and stored electronically as required; and
- All missing pre-award and award procurement documents subsequently found during TIGTA’s review are saved in their respective electronic contract files.”
The IRS has agreed with TIGTA’s recommendations and says it complies with market research policy. Additionally, the IRS plans to remind managers of content reviews and to save procurement documents.
