Lowest-priced security not good enough for war-zone embassies / Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Format:

Book

Government document

Contributor:

Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan (U.S.)

Series:

CWC special report ; 2.

CWC special report ; 2

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Department of State--Rules and practice.

United States.

ArmorGroup North America.

United States. Department of State.

Embassy buildings--Security measures--Afghanistan.

Embassy buildings.

Embassy buildings--Security measures--Iraq.

Contracting out--United States--Evaluation.

Contracting out.

Private security services--United States.

Private security services.

Afghan War, 2001-2021--United States.

Afghan War, 2001-2021.

Iraq War, 2003-2011.

Contracting out--Evaluation.

Embassy buildings--Security measures.

Afghanistan.

Iraq.

Genre:

Rules and practice.

Rules

Physical Description:

1 online resource (6 pages) : illustrations.

Other Title:

At head of title: Special report on embassy security contracts

Place of Publication:

Arlington, VA : Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, [2009]

Summary:

Unlike other federal agencies, the U.S. Department of State is forbidden by law to select anything but the lowest price and "technically acceptable" offer when awarding contracts to protect its overseas buidlings--even if this means passing up offers from firms offering higher quality and better experience. In contengency operations like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, this prohibition can have negative consequences for seucrity, wartime mission objectives, and American's image. The Commission recommends removing this lowest-price restriction so that State Department contracting officers can--like their counterparts in other government agencies--use their professional judgment to select from the entire continuum of "best value" criteria and make appropriate trade-offs between cost or price and other relevant factors. When American lives and American interests are at stake, quality and experience must be considered along with price. The Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan reached this conclusion based on research, travel to Afghanistan, and its September 14, 2009, hearing that focused on recent allegations of misconduct among employees of the State Department's contractor, ArmorGroup North America (AGNA). AGNA, a unit of Wackenhut Services, Inc., contracted to protect the U.S. Embassy and personnel in Kabul, Afghanistan. The company attracted intense media scrutiny when a watchdog group released photos showing AGNA employees in alcoholfueled acts of sexual misconduct and degradation of subordinate staff.

Notes:

Title from title screen (viewed June 22, 2011).

"October 1, 2009."

Includes bibliographical references.

OCLC:

458558513