Homeland Security Will Review Services Contracts The Homeland Security Department has begun a review of professional services contracts to ensure that contractors are not doing work that is inherently governmental. The initiative is part of a department-wide efficiency review ordered by Secretary Janet Napolitano. Several members of Congress have criticized DHS’s heavy reliance on contractors. The department said all professional services contracts exceeding $1 million will undergo a mandatory review before a new contract is awarded or an existing one is renewed. DHS says the review will ensure that contracts do not include inherently governmental functions or impact core functions that must be performed by federal employees. “This additional review adds a new level of rigor to the DHS contracting process,” the statement added. DHS announced it has initiated a number of cost-saving moves, including acquiring enterprise software licenses for department-wide use; electronically tracking the use of its motor-vehicle fleet; and redeploying refurbished IT equipment throughout the department. The department has placed a moratorium on new contracts for branding-related merchandise and logos and is conducting an assessment of its full-time employees, part-time employees and contractors to improve the management of its workforce. In coming months it plans to increase the use of blanket purchase agreements for office supplies, implement energy efficiencies at its facilities and standardize and consolidate employee training and orientation. “DHS is committed to streamlining our operations, increasing transparency and maximizing the use of taxpayer dollars,” Secretary Napolitano said. “I am proud of the initial successes of our Efficiency Review, which are already changing the culture at DHS and generating significant savings and efficiencies.”