Sourcing report due soon

Fiscal 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act

The Bush administration's first report on competitive sourcing information is due to Congress this month as part of the effort to have more informed discussions about the issue.

"We've been in the anecdote business," Clay Johnson, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, said today at a Gartner Inc. conference in Washington, D.C. "We need base progress and discussions on facts."

The administration is expected to report to Congress by May 24, Johnson said, a requirement that was included in the fiscal 2004 consolidated appropriations bill. Included in the report will be the number of competitive sourcing competitions completed, the activities the competitions cover, the competitions' cost and estimated savings from completed competitions.

"I don't know what will be in the report, but I bet it says competitive sourcing varies by agency," Johnson said. "I think it will show this is a great thing to do. It makes sense."

Following recent revisions, the competitive sourcing process, as outlined in OMB's Circular A-76, is now fair and transparent, he said. Confusion, particularly among federal employees, still surrounds the issue because there have not been strong facts about the competitions, he said.

"There's a lot of misunderstanding on competitive sourcing," Johnson said. "There soon will be more facts on the table for us to have more meaningful conversations. The concerns will diminish as we become more comfortable with the facts."