Department of Homeland Security 

Office of Inspector General 

DHS Oversight of 
 


Component Acquisition Programs
 
 

OIG-11-71 April 2011 
tI1M-L;;!~

Office ofInspector General 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

Washington, DC 20528 

Homeland 

Security 

APR 11 2011 

Preface 

The Department ofHomeland Security (DHS) Office ofInspector General (DIG) was 

established by the Homeland Security Act of2002 (Public Law 107-296) by amendment 

to the Inspector General Act of1978. This is one of a series of audit, inspection, and 

special reports prepared as part of our oversight responsibilities to promote economy, 

efficiency, and effectiveness within the department. 

This report addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the department's acquisition 

management process. It is based on interviews with employees and officials of relevant 

agencies and institutions, direct observations, and areview of applicable documents. 

The recommendations herein have been developed to the best knowledge available to our 

office, and have been discussed in draft with those responsible for implementation. We 

trust this report will result in more effective, efficient, and economical operations. We 

express our appreciation to all of those who contributed to the preparation of this report. 

Anne L. Richards 

Assistant Inspector General for Audits 
Executive Summary.............................................................................................................1
 
 

Background..........................................................................................................................2 
 


Results of Audit ..................................................................................................................4 
 


Guidance ........................................................................................................................5 
 


Available Tools............................................................................................................11 
 


Component Policies and Procedures............................................................................14 
 


Recommendations..............................................................................................................16
 
 

Management Comments and OIG Analysis ......................................................................16 
 


Appendixes 

Appendix A: Purpose, Scope, and Methodology.......................................................20 
 


Appendix B: Management Comments to the Draft Report.......................................21 
 


Appendix C: Acquisition Programs Reviewed..........................................................28 
 


Appendix D: Acquisition Program Comparison .......................................................29 
 


Appendix E: Acquisition Lifecycle Framework (Directive 102-01) ........................30 
 


Appendix F: Major Contributors to this Report........................................................31 
 


Appendix G: Report Distribution ..............................................................................32 
 


Figures 

Figure 1: Component Budget Authority for Fiscal Years 2006–2010 ..................2 
 


Figure 2: nPRS Policy Timeline............................................................................9 
 


Tables 

Table 1: Acquisition Program Levels ..................................................................3 
 


Table 2: Acquisition Program Reporting System Inconsistencies.....................10 
 


Table 3: Acquisition Program Inconsistencies...................................................10 
 


Table 4: Component Policies and Procedures....................................................15 
 


Abbreviations 

APMD Acquisition Program Management Division 
 

CBP Customs and Border Protection 
 

COTS commercial off-the-shelf
 
 

CPO Chief Procurement Officer 
 

DHS Department of Homeland Security 
 

Table of Contents/Abbreviations 
 
Directive 102-01 Acquisition Management Directive 102-01, Revision 

Number 01 

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency 

FLETC Federal Law Enforcement Training Center 

FY fiscal year 

Guidebook Acquisition Instruction/Guidebook 102-01-001, Interim Version 

1.9 (Nov. 7, 2008) 

ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

IT information technology 

nPRS next Generation Periodic Reporting System 

OIG Office of Inspector General 

SSPO Strategic Sourcing Program Office 

TSA Transportation Security Administration 

USCIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

USM Under Secretary for Management 
DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 1
 
 

OIG
 
 Department of Homeland Security 

Office of Inspector General 

Executive Summary 

Acquisitions consume a significant part of the Department of 

Homeland Security’s annual budget and are fundamental to the 

department’s ability to accomplish its mission. The department’s 

revised enacted budget authority for fiscal year 2010 is 

approximately $55.3 billion, and between October 2009 and 

August 2010, it obligated about $9.2 billion for procurement costs. 

We performed this audit to determine whether the department 

established adequate management oversight and controls over 

component acquisition programs. 

The department has generally made progress in its acquisition 

oversight processes and controls through implementation of a 

revised acquisition management directive. However, the department 

needs to further refine its guidance by providing additional detailed 

guidance and improving controls in some areas. The department has 

not fully defined, for its components, what constitutes an acquisition 

program, or developed consistent guidance for reporting acquisition 

programs in its standard reporting system. In addition, the 

department did not ensure that components were using all 

acquisition tools available and that all components had adequate 

policies and procedures in place to manage acquisition programs. 

As a result, components created program management offices to 

manage simple procurements, incurring unnecessary administrative 

program costs without adding value to the programs. Additionally, 

without adequate controls in place, the department did not have 

complete visibility of all programs within its acquisition portfolio. 

We made four recommendations to the Chief Procurement Officer 

to strengthen the department’s management oversight and controls 

over component acquisition programs. The Chief Procurement 

Officer agreed with our recommendations and initiated corrective 

actions. 
DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 

Page 2 

Background 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to face 

challenges associated with implementing a fully integrated 

acquisition function. A successful acquisition process requires an 

effective acquisition management infrastructure. Acquisition 

management is a complex process that goes beyond simply 

awarding a contract. It begins with the identification of a mission 

need; continues with the development of a strategy to fulfill that 

need while balancing cost, schedule, and performance; and 

concludes with contract closeout after satisfactorily meeting the 

terms. Acquisition management includes managing operational 

and life cycle requirements—from formulating concepts of 

operations, developing sound business strategies, and exercising 

prudent financial management to assessing tradeoffs and managing 

program risks. 

The department’s revised enacted budget authority for fiscal year 

(FY) 2010 is approximately $55.3 billion. Between October 2009 

and August 2010, the department obligated about $9.2 billion in 

procurement cost, of its total $55.3 billion. DHS’s total budget 

authority increased from about $40.3 billion in 2006 to about $55.3 

billion in 2010, an increase of about 37%, excluding any 

supplemental funding and rescissions of prior-year carryover 

funds. Figure 1 illustrates the components’ budget authority for 

the past 5 years. 

 Figure 1. Component Budget Authority for Fiscal Years 2006–2010

$-

$2,000,000,000

$4,000,000,000

$6,000,000,000

$8,000,000,000

$10,000,000,000

$12,000,000,000

$14,000,000,000

2010 2009 2008 2007 2006

Year

CBP

ICE

TSA

CG

USSS

FEMA & FEMA (Grants Programs)

CIS

FLETC

**Does not include all components 
 

Recognizing the continued increase in the quantity and complexity 

of acquisitions supporting its missions, the department prescribed 

additional guidance for acquisition management and oversight 

beginning in November 2008. The Chief Acquisition Officer 

classified acquisitions into three levels to define the extent and 

scope of required project and program management and the 

specific official1 who serves as the Acquisition Decision Authority. 

Table 1 lists these levels. 

Table 1: Acquisition Program Levels 

Lifecycle Cost Acquisition Decision Authority* 

Level 1 Greater than or equal to $1 billion Deputy Secretary 

Level 2 $300 million to $1 billion Chief Acquisition Officer 

Level 3 Less than $300 million Component Head 

*Refer to footnote below. 

The following entities within DHS have a role in managing and 

overseeing acquisition programs: 

•	 Chief Acquisition Officer – Responsible for managing, 

administering, and overseeing the department’s acquisition 

policies and procedures. The Under Secretary for 

Management (USM) is currently the Chief Acquisition 

Officer who designates Component Acquisition Executives. 

•	 Component Heads – Oversee acquisitions within their 

component in accordance with the department’s acquisition 

policies and procedures, and ensure sound management, 

review, support, approval, and oversight of all types of 

acquisitions within the component. 

•	 Acquisition Decision Authority – Department and 

component officials responsible for ensuring compliance 

with Acquisition Management Directive 102-01, Revision 

Number 01 (Directive 102-01) by reviewing and approving 

the movement of acquisitions through the phases of the 

acquisition life cycle upon satisfaction of applicable criteria 

at an Acquisition Review Board. 

•	 Acquisition Review Board – Cross-component board within 

the department that determines whether a proposed 

acquisition has met the requirements of key phases in the 

Acquisition Lifecycle Framework and is able to proceed to 

the next phase. The Acquisition Review Board is composed 

1

 The Acquisition Decision Authority may designate his or her responsibilities to other officials. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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of officials that the Acquisition Decision Authority 

determines to be knowledgeable of the subject matter. 

•	 Component Acquisition Executives – Senior acquisition 

officials within a component responsible for implementing, 

managing, and overseeing their component’s acquisition 

processes. Component Acquisition Executives coordinate 

contracting and procurement processes with the 

component’s Head of Contracting Activity. 

•	 Director, Acquisition Program Management Division 

(APMD) – Responsible for developing and maintaining 

acquisition policy, procedures, and guidance, as well as 

assisting the Chief Acquisition Officer in the management 

of the department’s acquisition portfolio. 

On May 26, 2010, the USM issued the department’s latest Major 

Acquisition Oversight List. The list identified 86 major acquisition 

programs, projects, and services requiring direct departmental 

oversight. The department oversees acquisition programs at or 

above $300 million2 in life cycle cost. Components are responsible 

for the oversight and controls for acquisition programs below the 

$300 million threshold. 

Results of Audit 

DHS generally had management oversight and controls in place over components’ 

acquisition programs. In January 2010, the department issued Revision Number 

01 to its interim Directive 102-01 directive, which prescribed guidance over the 

Acquisition Review Process, Acquisition Lifecycle Framework, and Acquisition 

Review Board. It also issued a supplemental Acquisition Instruction/Guidebook 

102-01-001, Version 1.9 (November 7, 2008) (Guidebook) to the interim directive 

that provided detailed instructions on implementing and managing acquisition 

management. The Directive and Guidebook addressed many of the oversight and 

control problems previously identified regarding acquisition management. 

Directive 102-01 and the Guidebook were positive steps, but the department can 

do more. 

The department needs to further refine policies in some areas and strengthen 

oversight in others. Some components were creating program management 

offices to manage simple procurements, not properly reporting programs into the 

standard system, or not applying strategic sourcing strategies to support program 

development. Additionally, not all components developed component-level 

 

2

 The Acquisition Review Board can elevate acquisition program levels based on five exceptions listed in 

Directive 102-01. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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acquisition policies and procedures to manage their programs. As a result, some 

components unnecessarily created acquisition programs, which potentially 

increased administrative costs without adding value to the programs, and the 

department does not always know what is in its acquisition portfolio. 

Guidance 

The department did not fully define, for its components, what should 

constitute an acquisition program or develop consistent guidance for 

reporting requirements into its standard reporting system. The department 

did not provide consistent acquisition program reporting guidance for the 

use of the next Generation Periodic Reporting System (nPRS). As a 

result, component personnel, motivated to implement and follow 

department guidance, unnecessarily created acquisition programs that 

potentially incurred additional program management costs and distorted 

the position of the department’s acquisition portfolio. Components further 

distorted the acquisition portfolio position by inconsistently reporting 

programs into nPRS. 

Directive 102-01 

The department has not fully defined when a component should 

manage an acquisition under the requirements of the Acquisition 

Lifecycle Framework or manage it as a simple procurement. We 

found that many components were committed to following the 

department’s guidance but needed more structure for determining 

when to establish a program to acquire a product or service. We 

requested a list of all programs from each component and received 

numerous questions and conflicting responses. For example: 

•	 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel 

stated that they were having problems identifying level 3 

acquisition programs because they believed that Directive 

102-01 did not adequately define an acquisition program. 

In May 2010, ICE personnel provided a preliminary list of 

their acquisition programs, but as of October 1, 2010, they 

had not provided a final list. 

•	 Science and Technology personnel asked the audit team if 

they should include the funding and conducting of research 

and development programs or projects as acquisition 

programs. They specifically questioned whether they 

should manage the First Responder websites they operate 

and maintain as acquisition programs. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 

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•	 Domestic Nuclear Detection Office personnel asked if there 

were details that explained which acquisitions were or were 

not programs. They stated that the definition for 

acquisition programs is so broad that they were unsure 

whether the small contracts for services were level 3 

acquisition programs. 

•	 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel 

stated that they classified all acquisitions that appeared to 

be programs as acquisition programs because the definition 

was unclear. 

•	 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 

personnel were uncertain whether to classify large service 

contracts as acquisition programs. Initially, when we 

requested a list of FEMA’s programs, FEMA personnel 

stated that they could not provide a complete list of 

programs for 6 to 12 months. Senior personnel explained 

that FEMA was in the process of reorganizing its acquisition 

management function. After meeting with senior 

management personnel, toward the end of audit fieldwork, 

we received a draft list of programs, but as of October 1, 

2010, FEMA personnel had not provided a final list. 

Directive 102-01 establishes the overall policy and structure for 

acquisition management within the department, but does not 

provide a decision-making tool to determine if an acquisition 

warrants the higher level of internal controls required by the 

Acquisition Lifecycle Framework. According to the glossary of 

the Guidebook, an acquisition program is the totality of activities 

directed to accomplish a program to acquire or support/sustain 

capabilities, funded through one or more investments. In contrast, 

the Guidebook defines an acquisition as the conceptualization, 

initiation, design, development, test, contracting, production, 

deployment, logistics support, modification, and disposal of 

systems, supplies, or services (including construction) to satisfy 

DHS needs. To complicate the definitions further, the body of the 

Guidebook states that capital assets, enterprise/component-level 

service contracts, interagency agreements, and strategically 

sourced acquisitions will follow Directive 102-01. 

These definitions do not provide clear instruction for determining 

if an acquisition should become an acquisition program, and in 

attempts to comply with the directive, components over classified 

programs. For example, the Federal Law Enforcement Training 

Center (FLETC) is automating many of its manual processes, such 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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as student registration, class scheduling, planning and forecasting, 

and student records. The estimated total life cycle cost of this 

automation is approximately $30 million. FLETC personnel 

contracted out all of the requirements for the program, including 

requirements analysis, development, and maintenance of an 

automated system that used commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) 

equipment and custom software applications. Because of the 

unclear instructions, instead of creating a simple procurement, 

FLETC created an acquisition program that may have 

unnecessarily increased program management administrative cost. 

We reviewed several acquisition programs that do not clearly fit 

into the Acquisition Lifecycle Framework process. Ten of the 17 

(59%) programs we reviewed, with an estimated life cycle cost of 

about $5.3 billion, were acquisitions that identified COTS 

equipment or existing contracts to fulfill the needs identified by the 

program office. Component personnel likely could have managed 

these as simple procurements rather than acquisition programs. 

For example, TSA classified renovation of an existing warehouse 

building as an acquisition program. It leased the 104,000-squarefoot building in 2003 and renovated approximately 89,000 square 

feet for about $42 million over the initial 10-year leasing period. 

In 2008, TSA primarily relied on existing contracts to complete 

12,500 of the remaining 15,000 square feet of the warehouse 

building. According to TSA personnel, the renovation for the 

additional 12,500 square feet cost about $2.5 million, with 

construction completed in January 2010. For this small renovation 

project, TSA personnel could have used simple procurement rules 

but instead increased administrative costs by implementing the 

more complicated internal control structure prescribed in Directive 

102-01. 

Based on the definition of an acquisition program in the 

Guidebook, this renovation could possibly be an acquisition 

program. However, based on the processes and procedures laid out 

in Directive 102-01’s Acquisition Lifecycle Framework and 

Acquisition Review Process, this renovation does not clearly meet 

the intentions of the existing guidance or present a high level of 

risk to warrant the increased costs of being managed as a program. 

Components should not create acquisition programs for acquiring 

products and services under a simple procurement action that are 

outside the intent and spirit of Directive 102-01. The department 

can reduce some of the conflicts at the component level by 

developing a decision matrix that the components can apply in the 

pre-planning phases of the purchasing process. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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nPRS Reporting Guidance 

The department developed inconsistent reporting requirements for 

components to follow when reporting an acquisition’s progress in 

the department’s standard reporting system. nPRS is an integrated 

system that provides visibility to the department to track 

components’ level 1, 2, and 3 acquisition investments. It also has 

capabilities to store working and approved key acquisition 

documents, earned value management information, and risk 

identification. Component personnel are responsible for entering 

and updating information regarding their acquisition programs in 

nPRS. This information includes, but is not limited to, cost, 

budget, performance, and schedule data. 

For the 17 acquisition programs we reviewed, with an estimated 

life cycle cost of about $9.6 billion, we found that components 

were not completing and reporting all key information in nPRS. 

Component personnel input 16 of 17 programs reviewed (94%) 

into nPRS; however, despite detailed nPRS guidance, not all 

programs contained the required information. For example, only 7 

of 17 programs (41%) reported Acquisition Program Baseline 

required milestones, which establish the overall acquisition cost, 

schedule, and performance values. Only 13 (76%) programs 

reviewed contained required key documentation. Key documents 

include the mission needs statement, acquisition plan, operational 

requirements document, integrated logistics support plan, and the 

acquisition program baseline. 

Since nPRS became operational in 2008, the department has issued 

conflicting guidance and enforcement for reporting level 1, 2, and 

3 acquisition programs. According to APMD personnel, level 1 

and 2 acquisition programs are the only programs that require 

nPRS reporting, while reporting level 3 acquisition programs is 

optional. Despite APMD personnel’s explanation of the nPRS 

reporting requirements, in November 2008 they required level 1, 2, 

and 3 acquisitions to follow the DHS periodic reporting process 

identified in the nPRS manual. Then in May 2009, the USM 

issued a memorandum requiring major acquisition programs, level 

1 and 2, to transition to nPRS by the end of the month. In July 

2009, the Office of the Chief Information Officer issued guidance 

that required components to report all programs to nPRS. In 

September 2009, the Director of APMD issued a memorandum 

designating nPRS as the department’s system of record for 

acquisition management data and official reporting system for all 

level 1, 2, and 3 acquisition programs. In January 2010, the 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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APMD issued the final Directive 102-01, which required all level 

1, 2, and 3 acquisition programs to comply with the DHS periodic 

reporting process. This conflicting verbal and written guidance 

confused component personnel, who were not sure whether to 

report all acquisition programs or only level 1 and 2 programs. 

Figure 2 depicts the timeline of conflicting nPRS reporting 

guidance. 

Figure 2. nPRS Policy Timeline 

In May 2010, the USM issued a list of major acquisition programs 

that identified 86 level 1 and 2 acquisition programs and elevated 

some level 3 acquisition programs for departmental oversight. 

According to APMD personnel, the department and components 

jointly create the major acquisition program and project list. The 

APMD obtains information from nPRS and requests updated 

information from the components regarding their current number 

of acquisition programs. Once APMD personnel receive the 

information, they create the final list and the USM signs and issues 

the new list. 

As of July 2010, we identified six acquisition programs listed on 

the USM letter, but components did not report them in nPRS. We 

also identified five level 1 and 2 acquisition programs reported in 

nPRS but not on the USM letter. When we questioned department 

personnel about the differences between the USM letter and nPRS, 

they stated that the differences were due to timing issues. 

However, we were not able to reconcile the differences to verify 

that they were timing related. Table 2 compares the list of 

acquisition programs in the May 2010 USM memo with the nPRS 

database as of July 2010. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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Level 1 

Level 2 

Level 3 

Total 

Table 2. Acquisition Program Reporting System Inconsistencies 

USM Memo - May 2010 nPRS Database - July 2010 

Consolidated Mail System Program 

Electronic Records Management System 

St. Elizabeth's 

National Security System Program 

Online Tracking Information System 

Federal Protective Services 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

No Entry 

Critical Infrastructure 

Technology and Analysis 

CBP - Infrastructure 

FEMA - Infrastructure 

ICE - Infrastructure 

USSS - Infrastructure 

To identify the number of acquisition programs in the department, 

we requested a list of all programs from nPRS, but the department 

could provide only level 1 and 2 acquisition programs. In March 

2010, we requested that the components provide us with a list of 

all level 1, 2, and 3 acquisition programs so we could gain a 

complete inventory of acquisition programs throughout the 

department. Table 3 shows some inconsistencies between the 

department’s totals and the components’ totals. 

Table 3. Acquisition Program Inconsistencies 

DE P A R T M E NT 

USM Letter - Apr 23, 2009 42 25 0 67 

nPRS datapull March 2010 43 20 0 63 

USM Letter - May 26, 2010 46 40 0 86 

nPRS datapull June 2010 49 33 0 82 

nPRS datapull July 2010 50 32 70 152 

CO M PO N E N T S 48 22 152 222 

**See Appendix D for the detailed spreadsheet. 

We obtained the department’s totals at five different times. Though 

we understand that there may be differences in timing due to the 

intervals, the department needs to make sure that components are 

consistently reporting all acquisition programs into the standard 

system. In July 2010, we obtained our last data from nPRS that 

showed progress regarding the number of level 3 acquisition 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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programs components entered in the system. However, nPRS still 

does not reflect half of the total number of level 3 programs 

components reported outside nPRS. 

The department does not always know what is in its acquisition 

portfolio because of the conflicting written and verbal guidance 

provided to the components. The department has not ensured that 

components report all level 1, 2, and 3 acquisition programs in 

nPRS, which hinders its ability to have complete visibility into 

components acquisition programs. By mandating use of nPRS for 

all acquisition programs, the department would have visibility into 

components’ acquisition programs and could provide better 

oversight for its acquisition portfolio. 

Available Tools 

The department has not ensured or mandated that components use all 

available tools and supporting programs, including nPRS and the 

department’s Strategic Sourcing Program Office (SSPO), to provide 

transparency and efficiency of component acquisition programs. As a 

result, some components have developed systems comparable to nPRS and 

may have awarded contracts without consideration of the SSPO. 

nPRS Tools 

The department, in conjunction with the APMD and the Office of 

the Chief Information Officer, developed and currently maintain 

nPRS. nPRS manages the department’s level 1, 2, and 3 

acquisition programs by incorporating numerous tools for the 

department and components to provide oversight and visibility. 

Tools available within nPRS include the following: 

•	 Current and previous contract award data with earned value 

management 

•	 Previous, current, and future budget and funding 

•	 Cost, schedule, and performance status based on 

Acquisition Program Baseline parameters 

•	 Information technology program milestone schedule and 

cost variances 

•	 Acquisition Decision Memorandum forms that track action 

items issued by the Acquisition Review Board 

•	 Key documents approved by the department or component, 

such as the Mission Needs Statement, Acquisition Plan, and 

Acquisition Program Baseline 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 

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According to APMD personnel, nPRS allows components to create 

a copy of nPRS software and integrate it to meet the components’ 

needs. The copy, which is called the nPRS Sandbox, allows the 

components to duplicate the department’s copy of the nPRS 

software and to use the already developed nPRS as their oversight 

tool for draft documents, component approval process for 

documentation, earned value management, as well as cost and 

schedule status. The component’s Sandbox copy of nPRS is not 

visible by the department or other components because nPRS 

restricts access to unauthorized users. As of July 2010, three 

components had requested use of the nPRS Sandbox feature: TSA, 

FEMA, and the DHS Chief Financial Office. 

Component personnel have developed, or they are in the process of 

developing, their own data-tracking systems because the 

department has not consistently mandated use of nPRS or its tools 

within the system. For example: 

•	 TSA hired and spent approximately $100,000 for a 

contractor in 2005 to develop the TSA Acquisition Program 

Status Report, which served as its data-tracking system. As 

of June 2010, TSA had merged its acquisition program 

portfolio, levels 1, 2, and 3, into the department’s nPRS and 

will no longer report to the TSA Acquisition Program 

Status Report. As of August 2010, nPRS will be its official 

tracking system for acquisition programs. 

•	 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel were in 

the process of developing a database to track acquisitions 

throughout the Acquisition Lifecycle Framework. We were 

not able to determine the cost of this tracking database. 

According to CBP personnel, the database was a verbal 

agreement between CBP personnel and the contractor for 

the development and tracking of the database. The 

statement of work did not contain any mention of the verbal 

agreement. 

•	 FEMA, CBP, ICE, and U.S. Secret Service use internally 

developed systems based on software programs such as 

Microsoft SharePoint. 

The department has not consistently mandated and ensured that 

components use nPRS for all level 1, 2, and 3 acquisition programs. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 

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Strategic Sourcing Program Office 

The department has not ensured that the components use the SSPO 

when managing acquisition programs. Directive 102-01 and the 

Information Technology Integration and Management Directive, 

MD 0007.1, do not require components to consider the SSPO when 

planning for acquisition programs. The department created the 

SSPO, within the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, to help 

components do the following: 

•	 Identify best prices available for a requirement 

•	 Engage in market research to identify the best available 

vendors and manufacturers 

•	 Minimize duplication of effort for market research 

•	 Provide department-wide contract vehicles 

Of the 17 component acquisition programs we reviewed, 10 (with 

an estimated life cycle cost of about $5.3 billion) were acquisition 

programs that component personnel awarded or plan to award 

contracts for the procurement and development of COTS software 

and equipment. Six of the 10 programs (with an estimated life cycle 

cost of about $5.1 billion) relied on a department-wide contract for 

some or all of their procurement needs, and components awarded or 

will award 3 programs (with an estimated life cycle cost of about 

$.19 billion) to vendors outside the department-wide strategically 

sourced contracts. The remaining program was in the analyze/select 

phase and the component had not determined which procurement 

mechanism to use. 

Components did not consider the SSPO when planning and 

awarding procurements. For example, FLETC personnel created 

an acquisition program to provide electronic training materials. 

FLETC used a Small Business Administration 8(a) contractor to 

procure some of its requirements, but it did not use a General 

Services Administration vendor to procure its COTS equipment. If 

FLETC had used a General Services Administration vendor to 

procure its COTS equipment, it might have saved resources. 

However, it can benefit from the future department-wide contract 

for its wireless communication requirements. 

The SSPO identified five future department-wide contracts for 

acquiring canines, dog supplies, dog food, veterinary care, and 

explosive training aids and storage. TSA established an 

acquisition program to use canines and handlers to deter and detect 

the introduction of explosives into the transportation system. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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However, TSA is not required to consider using the SSPO 

contracts to purchase these canine requirements, which may 

increase procurement costs. 

Because the current guidance is silent regarding the use of the 

SSPO, the department may be incurring increased cost for 

component procurements. In addition, components may be 

conducting duplicative market research for procurements that the 

SSPO has performed. The department should make sure 

component personnel are at least considering use of the SSPO 

during the planning stages of their acquisition programs before 

awarding any contracts. 

Component Policies and Procedures 

The department has not taken steps to ensure that all components have 

developed prescribed policies and procedures for oversight of acquisition 

programs. Directive 102-01 states that components retain the authority to 

set internal acquisition processes and procedures, as long as they are 

consistent with the spirit and intent of the directive. However, not all 

components have created such policies and procedures, and the 

department has not taken steps to ensure the adequacy of the processes and 

procedures that components developed. 

We performed a department-wide review of component policies and 

procedures regarding acquisition management. As depicted in Table 4, 

four components have created and issued finalized policies, five have draft 

policies, and three were not able to provide any policies or procedures. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


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Table 4. Component Policies and Procedures 

Component Finalized Draft 

Unable 

to 

Provide 

Transportation Security Administration 9

United States Coast Guard 9

National Protection and Programs 

Directorate 

9

Domestic Nuclear Detection Office 9

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center 9* 

Customs and Border Protection 9

United States Secret Service 9

Federal Emergency Management Agency 9

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 

Services (USCIS) 

9** 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement 9

Office of Health Affairs 9

Science and Technology 9

*FLETC has issued System Engineering Life Cycle policy, but not acquisition 
 


management policy. 
 


**USCIS has issued procurement policy, but not acquisition management policy. 
 


The department prematurely gave approval authority in Directive 102-01 

for level 3 acquisition programs without ensuring that components’ 

policies and procedures were in place and operating effectively. For the 

six components in our file review— 

• Two (33%) have finalized policies. 

• Three (50%) have draft policies. 

• One (17%) does not have any policy. 

In addition, components are not always following prescribed department 

or component guidance. For example, FLETC requested funding for one 

of its level 3 acquisition programs through the Office of Management and 

Budget in 2006. According to component personnel, the department 

denied the request but intended for the component to execute a pilot 

program. If the pilot program succeeded, the program office would 

request additional funding from the department. The component went 

forward, created a pilot program, and is currently procuring equipment and 

foresees that the pilot program will be a success. If the department 

approves the pilot program and provides additional funding, the 

acquisition program will proceed without having to perform any 

formalized acquisition management. This would not comply with the 

requirements of Directive 102-01. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 15
 

 

 

The department must ensure that components are in full compliance with 

departmental guidance. Because the department gave approval authority 

to the components for level 3 programs, it should implement a plan of 

action, with deadlines, for components to complete finalized acquisition 

management policies and procedures. 

Recommendations 

We recommend that the Chief Procurement Officer: 

Recommendation #1: Develop a decision matrix tool that guides 

components on identifying when to apply life cycle management 

processes to acquisitions. 

Recommendation #2: Direct components to report all acquisition 

programs (levels 1, 2, and 3) to nPRS. 

Recommendation #3: Require all components to consider using 

the Strategic Sourcing Program Office, General Services 

Administration Schedule, and department-wide contracts in the 

planning phase of an acquisition program. 

Recommendation #4: Implement a plan of action or completion 

deadline for department-wide finalization of acquisition 

management policies and procedures. 

Management Comments and OIG Analysis 

The Deputy Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) provided comments 

on a draft of this report. A copy of the comments in their entirety 

is included in Appendix B. The CPO concurred with the 

recommendations in the report. 

Management Comments to Recommendation #1 

The CPO concurred with the recommendation. During FY 2011, 

APMD will develop a decision matrix tool to guide components on 

identifying when to apply life cycle management processes to 

acquisitions. 

OIG Analysis: The CPO’s actions are responsive to the 

recommendation. The decision matrix tool will help component 

personnel determine when to follow simple procurement rules rather 

than creating acquisition programs that follow the acquisition 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 

Page 16
 
lifecycle framework. The recommendation is resolved, but will 

remain open until the CPO provides a copy of the decision matrix. 

Management Comments to Recommendation #2 

The CPO concurred with the recommendation. By April 30, 

APMD will issue guidance to components that will require 

inclusion of all level 1, 2, and 3 acquisition programs within the 

nPRS tracking tool. 

OIG Analysis: The CPO’s actions are responsive to the 

recommendation. APMD’s revised guidance will allow the 

department to provide better oversight of its acquisition portfolio 

and ensure complete visibility into components’ acquisition 

programs. The recommendation is resolved, but will remain open 

until the CPO provides a copy of the guidance that requires level 1, 

2, and 3, acquisition programs report to nPRS. 

Management Comments to Recommendation #3 

The CPO concurred with the recommendation. APMD/Cost 

Analysis Division will revise the current Directive 102-01 

language to ensure that Federal Acquisition Regulation at 7.102(a) 

and the Homeland Security Acquisition Manual at 3007.102 

requirements regarding mandatory consideration of strategic 

sourcing, department-wide contracts, and other contract vehicles 

that increase acquisition process efficiencies and provide volumerelated discounts are addressed. 

OIG Analysis: The CPO’s actions are responsive to the 

recommendation. However, the recommendation is unresolved 

and remains open until the CPO provides a target completion date 

for the revision to Directive 102-01. An update to Directive 102-

01 that requires mandatory consideration of strategic sourcing will 

help reduce potentially increased procurement cost and duplicative 

market research for procurements. 

Management Comments to Recommendation #4 

The CPO concurred with the recommendation. In a memorandum 

dated January 22, 2009, the DHS USM addressed the desire for 

each component to have a Component Acquisition Executive to 

lead a process and staff to provide acquisition and procurement 

oversight, policy, and guidance to ensure that statutory, regulatory, 

and higher-level policy requirements are fulfilled. APMD will 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 

Page 17
 
ensure that the guidance in that memorandum is fully executed, 

thereby addressing the Inspector General’s recommendation. 

OIG Analysis: CPO’s actions are nonresponsive, and the 

recommendation remains unresolved and open until the CPO 

provides a target completion date and a corrective plan of action 

that states what APMD will do to ensure that the department-wide 

policies and procedures are finalized and in place. 

Management’s Technical Comments on Report Content 

The CPO also provided technical comments and suggested 

revisions to sections of our report. As appropriate, we made 

changes throughout the report in response to these technical 

comments and suggested revisions. We did not make the 

following changes: 

•	 Background Section: The CPO noted that the description of the 

Component Acquisition Executive responsibilities was not 

consistent with the guidance in the Guidebook. 

OIG Analysis: We relied on Directive 102-01, signed January 

20, 2010, for the acquisition management roles identified in the 

report. If the Component Acquisition Executive roles are more 

consistent in the Acquisition Instruction/Guidebook dated 

November 7, 2008, the department needs to revise Directive 

102-01. 

•	 nPRS Reporting Guidance Section: The CPO did not agree with 

the conflicting guidance section of the report for level 1, 2, and 3 

acquisition programs. Directive 102-01 specifies that level 1, 2, 

and 3 acquisitions must comply with the DHS periodic reporting 

process. The nPRS manual identifies reporting requirements. 

The nPRS manual states that all major acquisition programs— 

levels 1, 2, and 3 for information technology (IT)— programs 

and levels 1 and 2 programs for non-IT programs—are required 

to report to nPRS. 

OIG Analysis: According to APMD personnel, level 1 and 2 

acquisition programs are the only programs that require nPRS 

reporting, while reporting for level 3 acquisition programs is 

optional. Directive 102-01 (interim and final) directs users to the 

nPRS manual for reporting requirements. The nPRS manual 

provided during the audit was version 07.20.2010. It states that 

nPRS is “an integrated decision support capability that manages 

the department’s major acquisition level 1, 2, and 3 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 

Page 18
 
investments.” The director of APMD issued a memorandum in 

September 2009 that as of October 1, 2009, nPRS is the 

department’s system of record for acquisition management data 

and reporting for all acquisition programs (level 1, 2, and 3). 

CPO’s implementation of recommendation #2 will resolve all 

conflicting guidance issues described in the report. 

•	 Component Policies and Procedures Section: CPO did not agree 

that USCIS has not issued final acquisition management policy. 

OIG Analysis: During the audit, USCIS personnel provided a 

copy of Management Directive No. 124-001, Acquiring Goods 

and Services, effective April 30, 2010. This management 

directive provides policy for procuring goods and services, 

entering receipt, acceptance, and payment information into the 

financial accounting system. Directive No. 124-001 does not 

contain policy for acquisition management. Procurement is a 

part of the overall acquisition management process. 

• Appendix D, Acquisition Program Comparison: CPO stated that 

the comparison chart contained an error regarding USCIS’s total 

of level 1 acquisition programs. USCIS has one level 1 program, 

not three as shown in the chart. 

OIG Analysis: The chart in appendix D is a comparison of the 

level 1, 2, and 3, acquisition program information obtained from 

the department and the components. The purpose of the chart is 

to show the inconsistencies between the department’s totals and 

the components’ totals regarding the number of level 1, 2, and 3 

acquisition programs. USCIS reported three level 1 acquisition 

programs. However, the department’s nPRS and USM letters 

showed one level 1 program. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 19
 
 
Appendix A 

Purpose, Scope, and Methodology 

This report provides the results of our work to determine whether 

DHS has established adequate management oversight and controls 

over components’ acquisition programs. To achieve our objective, 

we reviewed federal regulations, as well as DHS and componentspecific guidance, to determine the requirements for acquisition 

programs. 

We sampled acquisition program files from six DHS components. 

We used three criteria elements to select our judgmental sample of 

17 acquisition programs. We looked at the following: 

• Life cycle cost estimate of the programs 

• Number and level of programs at the components 

• IT or non-IT programs 

We also coordinated our selections with the Government 

Accountability Office team that performed a similar audit during 

the same timeframe. Our sample covered acquisition offices 

within the Customs and Border Patrol, Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Center, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 

Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, and 

U.S. Secret Service. The Federal Emergency Management Agency 

was initially included in our sample; however, it was not able to 

provide its list of acquisition programs, policies, and procedures 

during the survey and fieldwork phases of the audit. Subsequent to 

a meeting with its senior management to share our tentative audit 

results, FEMA provided some draft acquisition program numbers 

and draft policies and procedures. See appendix C for the list of 

acquisition programs we reviewed. 

We conducted this performance audit between January and August 

2010 pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, 

and according to generally accepted government auditing 

standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 

audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a 

reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based upon our 

audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a 

reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based upon our 

audit objectives. 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 20
 
 
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Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 21
 
 
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Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 22
 
 
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Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 23
 
 
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Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 24
 
 
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Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 25
 
 
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DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 26
 
 
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Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 27
 
 
Appendix C 

Acquisition Programs Reviewed 

DHS Acquisition Programs Reviewed 

Component Program Name IT or non-IT 

LEVEL 1 

TSA Screening Partnership Program non-IT 

USCG HC 103J Fleet Introduction (6 aircraft) non-IT 

CBP Non-Intrusive Inspection Program IT 

SS Information Integration and Transformation IT 

LEVEL2 

ICE ATLAS IT 

TSA TTAC Infrastructure Modernization IT 

TSA National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program non-IT 

CBP Advanced Passenger Information System IT 

Level 3 

TSA HAZMAT Threat Assessment Program non-IT 

TSA Freedom Center (formerly Trans Security Ops Center) non-IT 

TSA Performance and Results Information System IT 

TSA Consolidated Screening Gateway IT 

TSA Internodal Security Training Exercise Program non-IT 

USCG Coast Guard Logistics Information System IT 

CBP Analytic Framework for Intelligence IT 

FLETC Student Administration & Scheduling System (SASS) IT 

FLETC TRAIN 21 IT 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 28
 
 
DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 

Page 29
 
 USM Letter Apr 23, 2009 L1 L2 L3 Total nPRS March 2010 L1 L2 L3 Total USM Letter May 26, 2010 L1 L2 L3 Total nPRS June 2010 L1 L2 L3 Total nPRS July 2010 L1 L2 L3 Tota

A&O 2 1 

CBP 11 5 3 1

DHS 1 2 1 DNDO 1 1 

FEMA 2 3 5 1

FLETC 1 

I&A 

ICE 4 4 2 1

NPPD 3 3 4 1

OHA 1 1 S&T 2 

TSA 8 5 36 4USCG 15 5 6 2

USCIS 1 2 6 USSS 1 1 3 

50 32 70 15

A&O CBP DHS DNDO FEMA FLETC I&A ICE NPPD OHA S&T TSA USCG USCIS USSS 0 10 2 1 2 0 0 1 3 1 0 6 15 1 0 2 6 2 1 3 0 0 2 2 0 2 0 3 2 0 2 16 4 2 5 0 0 3 5 1 2 6 18 3 0 A&O CBP DHS DNDO FEMA FLETC I&A ICE NPPD OHA S&T TSA USCG USCIS 6 USSS 0 10 1 1 1 0 0 4 3 1 0 15 1 0 2 4 2 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 2 0 3 2 0 2 14 3 1 2 0 0 6 5 1 2 6 18 3 0 A&O CBP DHS DNDO FEMA FLETC I&A ICE NPPD OHA S&T TSA USCG USCIS USSS 0 10 2 1 1 0 1 2 3 1 2 7 15 1 0 2 6 5 0 3 0 1 6 3 0 0 5 5 3 1 2 16 7 1 4 0 2 8 6 1 2 12 20 4 1 A&O CBP DHS DNDO FEMA FLETC I&A ICE NPPD OHA S&T TSA USCG USCIS USSS 11 1 1 2 3 3 1 2 8 15 1 1 2 6 2 3 4 3 5 5 2 1 2 17 3 1 5 0 0 7 6 1 2 13 20 3 2 Totals 42 25 0 67 43 20 0 63 46 40 0 86 49 33 0 82 
 *These three components were not included in our department-wide data call. They are shown in the chart for comparative purposes only. DEPARTMENT TOTALS 

Appendix D Acquisition Program Comparison 
Appendix E 

Acquisition


 

 Lifecycle Framework (Directive 102-01)
 
 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 

Page 30
 


 
Appendix F 

Major Contributions to this Report 

Linda Howard, Director 

LaParacina Williams, Audit Manager 

David Porter, Auditor-in-Charge 

Elizabeth Garcia, Auditor 

Kevin King, Auditor 

Andre Marseille, Program Analyst 

Gwendolyn Priestman, Program Analyst 

Marisa Coccaro, Referencer 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 31
 
 
Appendix G 

Report Distribution 

Department of Homeland Security 

Secretary 

Deputy Secretary 

Chief of Staff 

Deputy Chief of Staff 

General Counsel 

Executive Secretariat 

Director, GAO/OIG Liaison Office 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Policy 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Public Affairs 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Legislative Affairs 

Office of Management and Budget 

Chief, Homeland Security Branch 

DHS OIG Budget Examiner 

Congress 

Congressional Oversight and Appropriations Committees, as 

appropriate 

DHS Oversight of Component Acquisition Programs 
 


Page 32
 
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND COPIES 

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fax your request to (202) 254-4305, or visit the OIG web site at www.dhs.gov/oig. 

OIG HOTLINE 

To report alleged fraud, waste, abuse or mismanagement, or any other kind of criminal or noncriminal 

misconduct relative to department programs or operations: 

• Call our Hotline at 1-800-323-8603; 

• Fax the complaint directly to us at (202) 254-4292; 

• Email us at DHSOIGHOTLINE@dhs.gov; or 

• Write to us at: 

DHS Office of Inspector General/MAIL STOP 2600, 

Attention: Office of Investigations - Hotline, 

245 Murray Drive, SW, Building 410, 

Washington, DC 20528. 

The OIG seeks to protect the identity of each writer and caller.