Opportunities Exist to Improve Bonneville Power Administration’s Management of Fish and Wildlife Program Contracts
September 5, 2024
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August 30, 2024
Opportunities Exist to Improve Bonneville Power Administration’s Management of Fish and Wildlife Program Contracts
As required by the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act, the Endangered Species Act, and biological opinions issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) Fish and Wildlife Program (Program) is responsible for protecting, mitigating, and enhancing fish and wildlife to the extent affected by the development and operation of Federal hydroelectric projects in the Columbia River Basin. To mitigate the impacts of the Federal hydroelectric projects, BPA implements hundreds of projects (e.g., restoration/protection, harvest augmentation, and supplementation) across the Columbia River Basin through annual contracts and agreements with Federal, state, tribal, and local partners. BPA has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that revenues collected from ratepayers are used for goods delivered and services performed by the contractors.
We initiated this audit to determine whether BPA administered its Program contracts in accordance with applicable terms and conditions and required policies.
We found weaknesses in BPA’s administration of its Program contracts. Specifically, we found instances where invoice reviews lacked supporting documentation to justify the costs incurred; contract tasks were opened for more than a year past the contract end date; and contracts were not always closed out within the required timeframe.
The issues we identified occurred, in part, because BPA policy does not require contractors to submit documentation to substantiate costs with the invoice nor does it require reviewing supporting documentation before payment. Further, Contracting Officer Representatives did not ensure that the contract task was properly executed, or the final status report was accurate before acceptance. Finally, we attributed the delays in closing out the contracts to staffing shortages, delays in final invoice submittals, and no specific timeframe for closing out contracts.
The attached report contains eight recommendations that, if fully implemented, should help improve BPA’s administration of contracts for its Program. Management fully concurred with our recommendations.