DOD Unable To Determine If Recent Law Led To Fewer Sole-Source Awards

摘要

The Pentagon has awarded fewer small business sole-source contracts over the past few years, but defense officials are unable to determine if a law requiring justification before awarding these contracts is responsible for the decline, Defense Department acquisition chief Frank Kendall tells lawmakers in a recent report. In the March 31 report reviewed by Inside the Pentagon, Kendall noted that DOD has "experienced declining budgets over the past few years, which has affected total small business spending, as well as 8(a) sole-source awards." Section 811 of the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act revised the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require that the head of an agency cannot award a sole-source contract in a covered procurement worth more than $20 million unless "the contracting officer justifies the use of the sole-source contract in writing," according to Kendall's report. In addition, this justification must be approved "by the appropriate official designated to approve contract awards for dollar amounts that are comparable to the amount of the sole-source contract; and . . . the justification and related information are made public," the report states.