Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project’s Punch List and Warranty Work Process Lacked Sufficient Oversight

Submitting OIG:

Architect of the Capitol OIG

Date Issued:

Monday, September 25, 2023

Agency Reviewed / Investigated:

Architect of the Capitol

Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:

OIG-AUD-2023-08

Location(s):

Washington, DC

United States

Type of Report:

Audit

Questioned Costs:

Funds for Better Use:

Number of Recommendations:

Report updated under NDAA 5274:

View Document:

Attachment	Size
Cannon-House-Office-Building-Renewal-Project’s-Punch-List-and-Warranty-Work-Final-Report-OIG-AUD.pdf	2.22 MB

Related Open Recommendations

Recommendation Number	Recommendation Status	Significant Recommendation
1	Open	No
Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project’s Punch List And Warranty Work Process Lacked Sufficient Oversight
2	Open	No
We recommend that, for the remaining contract phases (Phases 3 and 4), the Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project team update its written quality control procedures to ensure compliance with all requirements for punchlist items prescribed in the Construction Manager as Constructor contract and specifications.
3	Open	No
We recommend the Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project team conduct a review of all punchlist items for Phase 2 to ensure it has properly identified each item and listed the correct status for each item (i.e., open or closed).
4	Open	No
We recommend the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) consider tying the start of contractual warranty periods to Final Completion, rather than Substantial Completion, to ensure that the AOC does not lose warranty coverage on work completed after Substantial Completion, and to incentivize the timely completion of all work needed to meet Final Completion, including punchlist items.
5	Open	No
We recommend the Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project team ensure it maintains sufficient documentation for all punchlist items, to accurately identify (1) the work completed to closeout punchlist items and (2) the individual who approved the completed work.
6	Open	No
We recommend the Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project team review all items listed as warranty items for Phase 2 and ensure they are (1) properly categorized as punchlist (also includes in-scope work), warranty or latent defect, (2) correctly recorded as open or closed and (3) sufficiently documented to support closed items, to include the work completed and the individual who approved.
7	Open	No
We recommend for those items categorized as punchlist (in-scope work) and completed during and/or after the warranty period, the Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project team should negotiate an extended warranty period with the Construction Manager as Constructor to the extent legally and administratively feasible.
8	Open	No
We recommend the Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project team improve its process for managing warranty items to ensure the only items included on its warranty list are those that meet the definition and description of a warranty item provided in the contract and specification requirements.
9	Open	No
We recommend the Cannon House Office Building Renewal (CHOBr) Project team review all punchlist items discovered during the one-year warranty inspection to determine how the quality control (QC) reviewers overlooked those items during prior inspections and whether the CHOBr Project team should make any improvements to the QC process to avoid future oversights.

Architect of the Capitol OIG

Architect of the Capitol

Vision

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), promotes efficiency and effectiveness to deter and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in AOC operations and programs. We do this through value-added, transparent, and independent audits, inspections and evaluations, and investigations. The OIG is a high-performing team, promoting positive change and striving for continuous improvement in AOC management and operations. We foster an environment that inspires AOC workforce trust and confidence in our work.

Mission

The OIG promotes efficiency and effectiveness to deter and prevent fraud, waste and mismanagement in AOC operations and programs. We do this through value-added, transparent and independent audits, evaluations and investigations. We strive to positively affect the AOC and benefit the taxpayer while keeping the AOC and Congress fully informed.

The AOC Inspector General (IG) Act of 2007, codified at 2 U.S.C. § 1808, established the OIG. This legislation applies some sections of the IG Act of 1978 as amended, specifically Sections 4, 5 (other than Subsections (a)(13) and (3) and (e)(1)(B) thereof), 6 (other than Subsection (a)(7) and (8) thereof), and 7. The IG is under the general supervision of the Architect of the Capitol. The mission of this independent office is to:

1. Conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits, inspection and evaluations, and investigations relating to AOC programs and operations.

2. Review existing and proposed legislation and regulations that impact AOC programs and operations and comment in the semiannual report regarding the impact on the economy, efficiency, or the prevention and detection of fraud and abuse of such legislation and regulations.

3. Recommend policies for AOC activities to promote economy and efficiency or prevent and detect fraud and abuse in its programs and operations.

4. Provide a means of keeping the Architect of the Capitol and the Congress fully and currently informed about problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of Agency programs and operations and the need for and progress of corrective action. This is generally done by issuing the Semiannual Report to Congress.

“Legislative Branch agencies including the Architect of the Capitol are not subject to the Whistleblower Protection Act or the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act; however, AOC employees are covered under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, as amended.”

The AOC OIG is a member of the Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency.

https://aocoig.oversight.gov/

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Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project’s Punch List and Warranty Work Process Lacked Sufficient Oversight

Related Open Recommendations