Proposal for Engineering and Management Services

At the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Supply Chain, the OIG examined a cost proposal submitted for engineering and management services for hydroelectric power train and associated systems. Our objective was to determine if the vendor's cost proposal was fairly stated for a planned $90 million contract. In our opinion, proposed overhead rate to be applied to noncraft salaries was fairly stated. However, we found the proposed 13 percent profit rate to be applied to total costs was (a) double its actual historical profit margins and (b) not in accordance with the application base requested by TVA. We estimated TVA could avoid about $3.45 million on the planned $90 million contract by negotiating a profit rate to be applied to fully burdened noncraft labor costs only and unnecessary markup rates for craft burden, project related insurance, and performance and payment bonds. In addition, we identified compensation terms in the draft contract that needed to be revised to reduce a potential for billing discrepancies.(Summary Only)