DHS Grants and Contracts Awarded through Other Than Full and Open Competition, FYs 2018 and 2019

Based on our review of 45 judgmentally sampled awards (15 non-competitive grants and 30 other than full and open competition [OTFOC] contracts), we found DHS complied with applicable laws and regulations. DHS officials supported award decisions with the required planning, market research, justification, and approval documentation to ensure effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars. However, we determined the Department’s report was inaccurate because DHS did not sufficiently identify, review, and validate award information. Although we worked with DHS officials to ensure we had an accurate population for our testing purposes, inaccurate data in the report could hinder our ability to assess DHS’ compliance with applicable laws and regulations in future reporting submissions. We made two recommendations to help improve DHS’ procedures and ensure future reporting submissions are accurate. The Department concurred with the two recommendations.