Outcome, Cost, and Oversight of Reconstruction of Taji Military Base and Baghdad Recruiting Center

A December 2006 amendment to the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstructions SIGIR enabling legislation requires that, prior to its termination, SIGIR prepare a final forensic audit report on funds made available to the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund. To help meet this requirement, SIGIR is undertaking a series of focused audits examining major Iraq reconstruction contracts. The objective of these audits is to examine contract outcome, cost, and management oversight, emphasizing issues related to vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, and abuse. This report, another in the series, examines reconstruction work contracted for by the U.S. Government and performed by Parsons Infrastructure Technology Group, Inc. Parsons of Pasadena, California. It complements other SIGIR audit work related to Iraq reconstruction done by Parsons and other contractors. In some cases, including this one, contractors have completed their work and been paid. Future reports will address other Iraq reconstruction projects. In January 2004, at the request of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence now known as the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment AFCEE awarded a cost-plus fixed-fee task order under an existing contract to Parsons. Under the task order, Parsons was to renovate and replace facilities and provide infrastructure repairs at the Taji Military Base, and the recruiting stations in Hillah, Kirkuk, and Ba quba. It was also to construct a logistical support facility at the Kirkush Military Training Base. Subsequent modifications to the task order altered the scope of work. They eliminated the requirements to renovate the three recruiting stations, and the logistical support facility at the Kirkush base. Modifications also increased the scope of work at the Taji Military Base and added a requirement to renovate the Baghdad Recruiting Center, which had recently been bombed.