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# Improve FDA Management of IT Contracts: OIG
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/improve-fda-management-of-it-contracts-oig/
- Published: 2023-01-17T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T18:12:03.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5153547

An HHS Office of the Inpsector General (OIG) [report](https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region18/182111100.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com) says FDA should improve its management of contracts for acquiring information technology. As part of an audit program examining various HHS contracting operations, the OIG reviewed five FDA orders totaling $23.6 million paid to a contractor during fiscal years 2018-2020 for IT hardware and equipment.

The OIG says that while FDA contracting officers generally administered the delivery and call orders the OIG reviewed according to federal regulations and policies, there were areas within the agency’s management of the orders that were not conducted consistently with applicable federal acquisition regulations and policies. Specifically, it says, the contracting officers did not:

- properly designate a contracting officer’s representative or did not complete all required duties for contracts for which there was no designated officer;
- complete required contract performance evaluations;
- properly document all key contracting decisions or activities and obtain all required signatures on key documents; and
- include the required acquisition strategy statement in the orders’ acquisition plans.

The report says the conditions occurred because FDA did not always follow existing agency acquisition and procurement policies and procedures and did not work with HHS to meet its obligation to comply with an HHS directive.

OIG says it made procedural and administrative recommendations to improve compliance and FDA concurred with all the recommendations and described actions it has taken or plans to take to address the findings.