Thanks to Samuel for providing the link to this story. So now we are into the practice of hiring a contractor to supervise a contractor? I guess alarm bells should be going off right now. lol That way, DoS can blame contractors for everything and they can just wash their hands of the whole thing!
I have to say, I just don’t get why this is sooooo hard for the DoS to comprehend. If they just hired the guys they need through the federal system, and actually get off their ass and manage the contract, they just might get the kind of performance and service they desire. And if they are not getting enough folks, then up the pay for the thing. If you pay a decent salary for these jobs, you will get plenty of applicants. But if you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys or worse yet, you will get no one.
Is this laziness, a lack of leadership or a refusal to do what is right? This just perplexes me, and especially with all the negative press they received on this. This is just as perplexing as reducing the police training schedule for Afghans in the latest contract announcement from eight weeks to six weeks, and then expecting the company that wins the contract to produce competent police. It’s almost as if the government wants private industry to fail.
Now I am not going to say that this so called ‘personal services’ contractor can’t do the job. I actually hope they kick ass. All I am saying is that you would think that the DoS would actually perform this job themselves so they don’t get another scathing report from the IG or run into another embarrassing incident with a poor performing company.
On the positive side, I wonder who this company is that will be performing these third party services? Will they be doing covert and overt inspections, and applying best industry practices to managing this contract? How involved will they be in the supervision of this thing and will AGNA or whomever actually be on their best behavior around this company or what? Most of all, is this a sign of things to come–to have private industry tasked with managing private industry? –Matt
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State will hire contractor to supervise private embassy guards
By Robert Brodsky
March 23, 2010
The State Department plans to hire a personal services contractor to help supervise a private security company photographed last year hosting rowdy, alcohol-fueled parties near the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
In response to questions from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, Ambassador Eric Boswell said State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security is in the process of selecting and hiring a personal services contractor that will reside at Camp Sullivan, just outside the embassy. A Diplomatic Security special agent currently oversees the camp.