Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: Some Steps Have Been Taken to Improve Contracting, but a More Strategic Approach Is Needed

摘要

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) insures the pensions of more than 44 million workers in over 30,000 employer-sponsored defined benefit pension plans. In response to growing workloads, PBGC has come to rely heavily on contractors to conduct its work. GAO was asked to report on (1) the role that contracting plays in PBGC's efforts to accomplish its mission, (2) the steps PBGC has taken to improve its acquisition infrastructure and develop a strategic approach to guide its contracting activities, and (3) the steps PBGC has taken to improve its contract oversight processes to ensure accountability. To address these issues, we interviewed PBGC officials and selected contractors, reviewed data on PBGC's contracting activities; identified changes PBGC is making to contracting procedures; and identified strategies PBGC uses to monitor contracts. GAO recommends that PBGC revise its strategic plan to reflect the importance of contracting and to project its vision of future contractor use; and include the Procurement Department in agency-wide strategic planning. In response, PBGC agreed with most of our recommendations, but disagreed with incorporating more detail in its strategic planning documents, as it believes its recently issued strategic plan is sufficiently comprehensive. However, PBGCs plan mentions contracting only briefly and does not reflect the important role contracting plays in achieving its mission.