Investigation report gives FirstNet rap over knuckles

A report from the US Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General into practices at FirstNet has found substantial deficiencies in the agency’s operations.

The report looked at ethics- and procurement-related matters in response to concerns raised by a FirstNet board member in April 2013.

The OIG said its objectives “were to determine whether the department had adequate processes in place to ensure that FirstNet board members properly filed financial disclosures and identified potential conflicts of interest; and used the appropriate contract type, fairly awarded and appropriately administered FirstNet contracts, ensured services purchased under those contracts met industry standards, and were consistent with contract requirements”.

The report found that:

• The department’s confidential and public disclosure monitoring procedures were inadequate.
• Board members did not file timely public financial disclosure reports.
• Board operational procedures for monitoring potential conflicts of interest need improvement.
• And contracting practices lacked transparent award competition, sufficient oversight of hiring, adequate monitoring and procedures to prevent payment of erroneous costs.

FirstNet Chair Sue Swenson responded in a blog post, saying: “We concur with these recommendations, many of which have already been implemented.

“FirstNet is a unique organisation, charged with a significant task - to build the first-ever broadband network for the nation’s public safety community,” she wrote. “No organisation has accomplished what we have set out to do. We acknowledge some administrative missteps were made in the early days, and we have taken and will continue to take steps to address them.

“I am confident that the FirstNet of today is on the right path forward for these and many other reasons.”