Federal Times story:
In an uncharacteristically harsh rebuttal to a Homeland Security inspector general’s report on the Deepwater modernization program, the Coast Guard lambasted the IG for what it called a “lack of expertise or understanding†of such a complex acquisition project.
The unusual response from a service that has, in the past, been deferential toward its government oversight bodies, signals a sea change in the way the Coast Guard is being run, some experts say.
“Because there’s been a serious effort in the Coast Guard to get their management act together, things are changing fast. If you are critiquing them and your criticism isn’t about something that happened in the last five minutes, then you’re late,†said James Jay Carafano, an analyst with the conservative Heritage Foundation.
Responding to a Jan. 23 audit report from the IG entitled “Acquisition of the National Security Cutter,†the Coast Guard charged that the IG lacked knowledge of performance-based acquisitions programs such as the $24 billion, 25-year Deepwater contract.
Read the full story at Federal Times.
