The Bureau Has Made Progress on Major Decennial Contracts, but Adherence to Contract Milestones Will Be Essential

The Bureau has awarded three of its seven major decennial contracts on  time, and is working to accomplish contract milestones for these three and  preparing for the award of the remaining four contracts. However, the  tight systems development and testing schedule coupled with the  interdependence of decennial systems may affect the Bureau’s ability to  meet its ambitious schedule for completing the testing necessary for a  successful census. The Bureau has twice changed the DADS II award date and contract  scope. They also told us that  the contract is currently on track. Consistent with the leading acquisition planning  practice of strategically planning for contracts, the successful integration  of decennial systems is a key factor in the Bureau’s ability to meet its  internal milestones. The Bureau Has Implemented Actions to Address Changes in Business Processes Resulting from Its Increasing Reliance on Contractors

An agency’s increased reliance on contractors may result in changes to its  business processes that can adversely affect staff and the performance of  the contractor. For example, the Bureau did  not identify its decennial acquisition workforce in its overall human  capital management plan, nor did it solicit the input of the Acquisition  Division in developing that plan. The Bureau has incorporated some key strategic workforce planning  principles in planning for its acquisition workforce, but primarily at a  division level. First, as we previously noted, the  Bureau does not assess or monitor gaps in numbers by mission-critical  occupation at an agencywide level. Already, aspects of the Bureau’s DADS II system will not be assessed in  the dress rehearsal because of a change in the contract’s acquisition  milestones, while changes to FDCA time frames have reduced the amount  of time the Bureau will have to complete the work needed to prepare for,  and begin the dress rehearsal. Recommendations for Executive Action

To help the Bureau improve the management of the 2010 Census, we  recommend that the Secretary of Commerce direct the Bureau to take the  following three actions:    Ensure that the key systems to be developed or provided by contractors  for the 2010 Census are fully functional and ready to be assessed in  concert with other operations as part of the 2008 Dress Rehearsal. Devote further attention to planning strategically for its decennial  acquisition workforce by (1) assessing, at a higher level within the agency,  whether it has the acquisition-related skills needed to conduct the 2010  Census by developing strategies to identify and address gaps, monitoring  and evaluating progress toward closing gaps, and adjusting strategies  accordingly; and (2) identifying the needs of the acquisition workforce in  its human capital management plan or another acquisition-specific  workforce plan and involving appropriate stakeholders in this planning  effort. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

Our objectives for this report were to (1) determine the status of the U.S.  Census Bureau’s (Bureau) major contracts related to the 2010 Census, and  (2) evaluate the extent to which the Bureau is using selected leading  practices to manage its acquisition planning process for the decennial  census.
Why GAO Did This Study

For the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) is making the most extensive use of contractors in its history to supply a number of mission-critical functions and technologies. Because of the critical role that contractors will play in the 2010 Census, GAO reviewed the Bureau's acquisition planning process. Specifically GAO's objectives were to (1) determine the status of the Bureau's major decennial contracts, and (2) evaluate the extent to which the Bureau is using selected leading practices to manage its acquisition planning for these contracts.

What GAO Found

The Bureau has awarded three of its seven major decennial contracts consistent with their award date, but has changed the award dates of two of the remaining contracts (data dissemination and communications) because of changes in its acquisition approach. Bureau officials noted that the communications contract is currently on track. Still, changes in contract milestones--coupled with the Bureau's tight systems development schedule and interdependence of those systems--could affect the Bureau's ability to develop fully functional and sufficiently mature systems to be tested in concert with other operations during the 2008 Dress Rehearsal for the 2010 Census. Already, aspects of the Bureau's data dissemination system will not be assessed during the dress rehearsal because of changes to solicitation and contract award dates. To date, the Bureau has generally followed five selected leading practices for federal acquisition planning that we evaluated. For example, the Bureau has monitored the acquisition planning process for individual contracts, involved relevant stakeholders in the planning phase, and implemented certain actions to its business processes resulting from its reliance on contractors. However, as part of its strategic planning, the Bureau does not have a schedule for documenting what and when information needs to be provided to development teams to integrate all decennial systems. Additionally, in planning for its decennial acquisition workforce--which includes staff who award or manage contracts--the Bureau has not fully implemented key strategic workforce planning principles. For example, while the Bureau took steps at the division level to plan for its acquisition workforce, it does not assess or monitor at a high level gaps in the skills needed by its decennial acquisition workforce. The Bureau also has not identified the needs of the decennial acquisition workforce in its human capital management plan and did not involve all relevant acquisition workforce stakeholders in the development of this plan.