I think you have identified a classic "open money sack" where senior officials run roughshod over regulations.
What was the benefit to the Navy of this contractor support?
Please, explain why this action went forward even though the "Legal Counsel ... would not sign the J&A .... The Contracting Officer will proceed to award ... without this signature."
I think that the initial report (DoD-IG Audit 94-113) pointed to a larger pattern of potential abuse that should not go unexamined.
Who directed these procurements? To date, however, no one has determined who directed the shipyards to procure their activity-based costing (ABC) work through Coopers and Lybrand. This matter should not be left unresolved.
These questions should be answered and these types of procurement practices should not be tolerated. Unfortunately, without a strong follow-up investigation by your office, I am afraid we will be sending a message that wasting millions of dollars as a result of "buddy system" contracting is acceptable. I know you share my view that it is not.
We share your concerns about potential abuses... we have received no new information to warrant reopening the case.
Shipyard documentation indicated the procurements to Coopers and Lybrand resulted from a decision by the Shipyard Board of Directors during a monthly meeting. No records of the meeting minutes were located but contract documents at three shipyards referred to the decision from the meeting.
We found no documentation at the shipyards as to the value or benefit of these consulting services. ... No system was established by the shipyards to track the benefits of those particular services, which is not unusual.
When you think of public contracts, the idea "open bidding" comes to mind. How open is a process where a decision to spend $3.5 million is made in a meeting that no records show even occurred?
Would you continue to give consultants $500,000 projects over a several month period if they did not prove their worth? If they proved their worth, would you not expect to find records showing the savings?
Don't you think that a thorough investigation should raise and answer these kinds of questions?
Write or e-mail your Senators and Member of Congress. Ask them to review Department of Defense Inspector General Audit Report 94-113, "Orders Placed Under Federal Supply Schedule Contracts for Total Quality Management Services at Naval Shipyards". Ask them what you the taxpayer got for your $3.5 million?
As I learn more about web page development, I will place links to the e-mail addresses and mailing addresses on this page. Meantime, send me an e-mail of support and I'll help you contact the right people.