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Why would contracts be extended if people are not performing?

http://www.lamonitor.com/content/congress-eyes-lab-waiver

Last year, the lab received a one-time waiver from the NNSA fee determining official — principal deputy administrator 
Congress eyes lab waiver

Neile Miller, who left the post at the end of June.

In a letter from former Los Alamos Site Office head Kevin Smith to Miller, the award term (one-year contract extension) originally was not granted. But at the bottom of the letter, the no was scratched out with a notation, “Yes. Contingent on LANS letter attached.”

Miller also granted a one-year waiver to Lawrence Livermore lab.

Miller adjusted Livermore’s fee in December, giving the lab contractor an extra $541,527 to help it meet the 80 percent mark. 




The trade publication report said, House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) said the agency did itself a “tremendous disservice” by granting the award term extensions when he briefly raised the issue at a subcommittee hearing on DOE project management in March.

And Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who chairs the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, called the decision “unbelievable” during a panel hearing in April. 

“Why would contracts be extended if people are not performing?” Feinstein asked.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I think Sen. Fienstien said it all "UNBELIEVABLE" It's obvious the NNSA is completely broken.
Anonymous said…
"It's obvious the NNSA is completely broken"


Wrong, NNSA is not broken, it is the non-management workforce at the labs that is broken and causes all the problems. It is a miracle that they can manage that bunch. One thing that could help is to have a private contractor or a LLC run NNSA.
Anonymous said…
Unavailable, you want LANS (LLC) to run NNSA? NNSA is not broken? whoose!
Anonymous said…
NNSA is in bed with Bechtel. That is they will renew a failing contract.
Anonymous said…
NNSA is in bed with Bechtel. That is they will renew a failing contract.
Anonymous said…

...vs just controlled by private companies as they now are :)

I think the person above was kidding. (ie sarcasm)
Anonymous said…
“Why would contracts be extended if people are not performing?” Feinstein asked.

The reason for extending a contract may be as simple as "it's the easy non-thinking way to do something." Which by the way is apparently how the voting public works in just marking an X on an incumbent's name on the ballot, something the Senator relies upon.
Anonymous said…
Actually, at least in LLNL's case, extending the contract was the better part of wisdom and prudence. There are many more factors that NNSA takes into account than the metrics John Q Public is aware of - and it shows SOMEONE at least in NNSA has the balls to make a decision that might end up being "controversial" - dianne frankenstein notwithstanding...
Anonymous said…
There are many more factors that NNSA takes into account than the metrics John Q Public is aware of...

July 13, 2013 at 5:53 PM

And you're ok with that non-transparency on the part of Obama's "most transparent government in the history of the US"??

What, the real metrics need to be classified? What a joke. If the public cannot see clearly what its money is spent on, the government is a tyranny. Simple.
Anonymous said…
Wonder if the contract will be extended again this year?
Both Smith and Miller are no longer in place, so it will be a new group to make the decision. It may not help the case any that PF-4 is in stand down over crit safety violations.

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