Pricing of Firm Fixed-Price Noncompetitive Contracts with R. L. Polk and Co.

Gao ID: PSAD-77-144 July 22, 1977

An examination of the pricing of two firm fixed-price noncompetitive contracts, H-3837 and H-2605, awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to R. L. Polk and Company, showed that contract H-3837 was overpriced by more than $734,000. This occurred because cost data available prior to contract negotiations were not used by the contracting officer to negotiate the contract price, and cost or pricing data were not obtained to support the price proposed for contract H-2605.

Although the HUD auditor and the price analyst questioned cost data in the proposal for contract H-3837, the contracting officer disregarded their recommendations and accepted the contractor's negotiation position that the price proposed was reasonable. The contracting officer for contract H-2605 did not comply with the regulations in that he did not require Polk to submit cost or pricing data in support of its cost proposal. He also did not request a preaward audit of the proposal.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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