New Audit Announcements
Audit Initiated of FAA’s Information Technology and Telecommunications Contracts
Each year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) procures billions in information technologies (IT) and telecommunications (telecom) products and services in support of its mission to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. For fiscal year 2023, the Agency requested approximately $3.3 billion for its IT and Telecommunications Infrastructure needs—an increase of over $140 million from the fiscal year 2021 level and more than $120 million from the fiscal year 2022 level.
Our recent review of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) IT shared services (ITSS) contract vehicles identified issues with the Department’s award and modification practices. These issues included continuous extensions of certain IT and telecom services without the benefits of competition—i.e., best value pricing—as well as contract lapses resulting from delays in awarding extensions. Given those findings and the high dollar amounts FAA expends for IT and telecom services, we are initiating this audit. Our objective will be to evaluate FAA’s practices for awarding and modifying its IT and telecom contracts.