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Maintaining that agencies have created too many similar acquisition vehicles, an industry group last week asked Congress to terminate a $10 billion governmentwide contract planned by the Transportation Department.
In a letter to Rep. Steve Horn (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, the Coalition for Government Procurement said it has "serious concerns" about the Information Technology Omnibus Procurement II contract, which is scheduled for award this fall. The coalition represents more than 300 companies that sell products and services to the federal government and has been avocal supporter of the General Services Administration's multiple-award schedule program.
The coalition said in its letter that ITOP II duplicates other programs already in place particularly the schedules program, which offers a wider variety of services with reduced lead times and acquisition costs. In addition, ITOP "has been proven to be an improperly administered contract," with agencies paying more than necessary for products and services, and it is "clearly outside the core mission" of DOT. The General Accounting Office has criticized ITOP for failing to compete task orders, the letter said. "Our members are seeing the proliferation of government contract vehicles," said Larry Allen, executive director of the Coalition for...