Tag Archives: VA

Veterans Affairs’ overspending at conferences linked to poor contract execution

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Originally posted by Charles S. Clark on Government Executive

Among the many lapses the Veterans Affairs Department may have committed in planning two lavish training conferences in Orlando, Fla., in 2011 was a failure to adhere to contracting procedures.

The inspector general's report on the $6.1 million pair of employee gatherings, which led to the resignation of the department's Chief Human Capital Officer John Sepulveda, focused mostly on overspending, wrongful acceptance of gifts by employees and unnecessary advance trips to plan the conferences.

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IG report cites failed leadership in wasteful VA conference spending

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Originally posted by Jack Moore on Federal News Radio

Two Veterans Affairs Department training conferences held last summer in Orlando, Fla., contained as much as $762,000 in wasteful spending and were plagued by poor planning and oversight, according to an inspector general report released Monday.

In the report, the IG said although the conferences were held for legitimate purposes, agency leadership "failed to provide proper oversight in the planning and execution" of the two conferences. Specifically, Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration John Sepulveda "abdicated his responsibilities" by failing to provide guidance to agency senior executives and taking a "hands-off approach."

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The Top 5 Government Services Companies of 2012

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Originally posted by Mark Micheli on GovExec

The government services industry is the second fastest growing industry in America, according to Inc. Magazine's "Inc. 5000." Every year since 2007, Inc. has released the "Inc. 5000," a list of the fastest growing privately held companies in America. Measuring aggregate growth from 2008 - 2011, the government services industry has grown by 145 percent, second only to growth in private media.

Below is a look at Inc.'s five fastest growing government services companies:

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2nd Annual BBQ Lunch to benefit Wounded Warrior Project and the VA Wounded Warrior Program

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Newport News, VA - BOSH Global Services (BOSH) will host its second annual "BBQ Lunch to benefit Wounded Warrior Project and the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program" on September 14, from 11:00 to 2:00 on the lawn at 1 Compass Way in Newport News, Virginia.  The fundraiser, which is open to the public, will benefit two non-profit organizations dedicated to honoring, empowering and assisting wounded service members.

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VA limits purchasing authority amid probe of pricey conferences

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Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has rescinded the purchasing authority of employees in the departmental division under investigation for two conferences that cost $5 million and may have involved inappropriate gifts. Shinseki also has set up a 90-day independent review of Veteran Affairs Department training policies, VA announced.

In a statement released after news broke Monday that human resources employees at conferences in Florida in July and August 2011 may have accepted thousands of dollars' worth of gifts that included alcohol, concert tickets and spa visits, the department also said it is conducting new ethics training for all personnel involved with the planning and execution of conferences and recertification of contract specialists.

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