Costs Skyrocket As DHS Runs Up No-Bid Contracts

$2 Million Security Project Balloons to $124 Million

The project started in 2003 with a $2 million contract to help the new Department of Homeland Security quickly get an intelligence operation up and running.
Over the next year, the cost of the no-bid arrangement with consultant Booz Allen Hamilton soared by millions of dollars per month, as the firm provided analysts, administrators and other contract employees to the department's Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection offices. Full Story »

Posted by Melva Hackney

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John Primm
4.3
by John Primm - Oct. 1, 2008

A well written story and a caution about contracting out government functions...however! O'Harrow barely touches the antiquated procurment rules, govt employees who have no incentive to monitor contractors and demand payment, and the fact that Congress mandated yet another program/agency merger/fill in the blank...with no thought for how it would be implemented or paid for or who would be responsible. Those facts would add too much for deadline, but they are the real meat! Perhaps O'Harrow will have a part 2 in this story...I for one hope so.

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