FCW Forum: Too many contractors?

Do agencies rely too much on government contractors? That question, which Federal Computer Week editors put to readers recently on the FCW Forum blog, apparently touched a nerve.Our question was prompted by a report from the Government Accountability Office that criticized the Homeland Security Department for its liberal use of contractors. GAO was especially concerned that contractors are carrying out work that is inherently governmental — preparing budgets, developing policies and regulations, and coordinating intelligence — without sufficient agency oversight.Asked if they saw similar problems in their own agencies, more than a dozen readers — many of them long-term federal employees — responded, expressing concern or outright alarm about the situation. Here is a roundup of their comments grouped into four primary areas of concern. You can read the original blog posting and full responses at www.fcw.com/blogs/forum. For this article, the comments have been abridged and edited for style and typos.Numerous readers were less concerned about the loss of government jobs than they were about the loss of institutional knowledge. Contractors can carry out any number of functions, but agencies cannot afford to lose the expertise altogether.***“To address many IT issues, we need an experienced government employee who knows how things work and more important, how things work together. Such knowledge resides in the heads of the 20-plus-year government employees. But there is no…10- or five-year government employee backing them up. Therefore, the 20-year veteran is swamped with requests for his time, and overall the government loses, and costs go up.”***“As a government contractor who tries always to think like the taxpayer I am, I see a federal workforce that is stretched too thin. Government agencies lack the numbers of subject-matter experts — especially in professional specialties such as program management and systems engineering — needed to manage large projects and assure satisfaction of technical requirements… “The taxpayer, federal agencies and the contracting community all would be better served if federal agencies staffed up in [their] management and technical specialist ranks.”People often talk about the blended workforce, in which government and contractor employees work side by side, as if they all work for the same team. But that concept makes some readers nervous.***“I have watched this occurring more and more for the last 15 years. What really irks me is finding out later that a certain rep for such and such office is a contractor but never mentioned it at a meeting. They identified themselves as so and so from office XYZ, giving you the impression ‘government worker.’ Also, when I am told that that person must OK a proposal before it can go forward. Really bad.”Such concerns, though, are often brushed off by managers, one reader said.“I am frustrated by the casual attitude of the government’s approach to monitoring contractor interaction with the customers. I have been chewed out and threatened with my job for reporting improper communications between the government and the contractor personnel because it would embarrass the government…I feel that the contractors have a place in government. However, that being said, it is not in the front seat.”Government contractors inherently serve two organizations: Their client and their employer. Agencies should never forget that basic economic reality, wrote several readers, including some contractors.< br />“As a contracting officer technical representative at the Veterans Affairs Department for the last 23 years, I have seen too many circumstances where contracted employees are being used to sustain government responsibilities… This started out as a partnership where civil servants worked side by side with contracted employees. Not only have the lines and relationship become blurred as to who is serving the best interest of the taxpayer and who is in it for a profit, but also who is serving whom.”“I’ve been a government contractor for over 15 years, and no matter how hard I try to remain objective when making decisions for the government’s best interests, I am always faced with pressure from my employer to increase revenue. I am frequently asked by the government to make decisions that they should be making…Let’s bite the bullet and hire the government workers we need.”Some readers believe agencies have not taken a close enough look at the hidden economics of outsourcing.“Yes, far too many federal jobs are being outsourced... How can organizations justify outsourcing positions, paying more for that position, and then having that same person in the same position for 25 years?”“I continue to tell anyone who will listen that the cost of outsourcing has generally been at a cost of two to one: It takes two contractors to fill the position of one dedicated civil servant for double the pay.”But on the flip side...two contractors pointed out some advantages of managing contract staff.“You know why agencies use contractors? Reason No. 1: They cost less to manage. Look beyond the [time-and-materials] contract rate. With contract staff, there are no benefits, sick leave, annual leave, management systems to support those functions, government employee hiring process, etc. Reason No. 2: Easy to remove and replace if they are not working out. An agency can move contractors in and out freely as the work and the requirements demand it. A flexible workforce is easier to manage and can make an agency more competent.”“Another issue is that federal workers are strongly encouraged to change jobs, even agencies, very frequently; ‘stamping their ticket.’ Staying in one office and really learning the job is generally discouraged. Not only are many offices manned primarily by contractors, but those few real feds that are in the office are recent arrivals who don’t know the office — and often don’t know the agency — with the result being that the office succeeds or fails based upon the quality of the support contractors. Fortunately, most of those I’ve worked with over the years have been very good, and their goals seem to be closely aligned with those of the agency. I’ve worked with a number of program management office contractors who do a great job, even if it is somewhat disconcerting to know that their company is sometimes participating in or competing for the work they are overseeing.