Government agencies over-rely on outside contractors
GAO criticizes DHS for profligate use of outside contractors; employees in other agencies write to say their agencies, too, are culpable
Do government agencies rely too much on outside contractors? The editors of Federal Computer Week put this question the their readers, and they received many answers, all of them answering the question in the affirmative. The editors’ question was prompted by a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) which criticized DHS for its profligate use of contractors. GAO was especially concerned that contractors are carrying out work which is inherently governmental — preparing budgets, developing policies and regulations, and coordinating intelligence — without sufficient agency oversight. Asked if they saw similar problems in their own agencies, more than a dozen readers — many of them long-term federal employees — responded, expressing concern or alarm about the situation. You may want to see a roundup of their comments, grouped into four primary areas of concern, at the FCW forum.
