Summary: The appropriateness of contracts awarded to and the effectiveness of the financial disclosure system of the Tennessee Valley Authority were examined. TVA is not subject to Federal procurement regulations, but it has developed regulations which incorporate provisions of the Federal regulations.
During fiscal year 1975, the Authority awarded 36,673 contracts amounting to $3.6 billion. Of these contracts, 56.1 percent were awarded through formal advertising, 31.5 percent were awarded on an emergency basis, and 8.8 percent were negotiated on either a sole-source or competitive basis after unsuccessful advertising. It appears that the Authority awarded less than four percent of the dollar value of its contracts in 1975 without attempting to secure competition. TVA has established a financial disclosure system applicable to employees, consultants, and personal service contractors. Of the 354 statements that should have been received in 1975, 45 were missing. On December 31, 1975, TVA had 310 retired Federal employees on the payroll or about one percent of the total work force. The authority does not have a promotion-oriented public relations program, and only 23 of the 59 Information Office employees are engaged in information services directly to the public or media.
