What the Office of Inspector General Evaluated:
1. Whether the Library’s cost estimate to complete the Library Collections Access Platform, which the Library submitted in its Fiscal Year 2022 congressional budget justification, was prepared in accordance with key best practices in the Government Accountability Office’s Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide.
2. Whether the Library followed its policies for developing a new or expanded program request.
What the Office of Inspector General Found:
- The Library did not rely on Government Accountability Office's Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide when performing the cost-estimate, which was included in the Fiscal Year 2022 congressional budget justification.
- The Library did not complete the new and expanded programming request for the Library Collections Access Platform project in accordance with all Library guidelines and did not sufficiently complete the supporting cost estimate.
What the Office of Inspector General Recommends:
- Update its new and expanded programming request guidance to direct Library personnel to the most current version of the Government Accountability Office Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide.
- Consider updating its new and expanded programming request guidance to require Library personnel to prepare cost estimates in accordance with the Government Accountability Office Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide, to the extent the Library determines it applicable.
- Obtain additional resources and personnel with technical knowledge to enhance its new and expanded programming request review process and technical evaluations.
- Design and implement clearer guidance on completing the new and expanded programming request, including guidance addressing how to specify what costs are included in the total costs and project profile sections and include all documentation supporting the cost estimate, including the cost estimate spreadsheet and the cost estimating document.
