Purpose

The objectives of our examination objectives were to determine if the Office of General Services (OGS) paid Hourly Based Information Technology Services (HBITS) vendors: (i) at the appropriate hourly bill rates; (ii) for consultants with the required months of experience; and (iii) exclusively for hours worked.

Background

In November 2012, the Division of the Budget and OGS jointly implemented the HBITS contracts to create a cost- and time-efficient means for agencies to procure short-term hourly information technology services. Each HBITS contract includes a pricing schedule that defines the hourly bill rate for standard and specialty job titles. The hourly bill rates for standard titles are based on job title, skill level, skill demand level, and region of service. The hourly bill rates for specialty titles are based upon job title and region. In addition, the bill rates for all standard and most specialty title consultants are based in part on months of experience. Bill rates vary within job titles, depending on the consultant’s skill level and skill demand level, and may differ by as much as $72.29 per hour.

Key Findings

Our examination found OGS does not have an effective process to ensure a candidate consultant’s qualifications meet the mandatory qualifications specified by the agencies using the HBITS contract (e.g., months of experience), so OGS could not ensure it paid the correct hourly bill rates. In particular, OGS does not ensure the HBITS vendors fulfill their contractual obligation to verify that a candidate has the mandatory qualifications specified by the agencies, nor do OGS staff verify the mandatory qualifications. 

Key Recommendations

• Ensure HBITS vendors obtain the information necessary to verify candidates have the months of experience necessary to meet the mandatory qualifications specified by the agencies and the hourly rates billed.