Kagman Elementary School Project
(April 29, 2002)
This report presents information gathered relating to the contract for the construction of the Kagman Elementary School project. Please note that this compilation of information was not conducted in accordance with Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and, therefore, should not be considered an audit report.
OPA reviewed the project contract and other pertinent documents available to present a chronology of information relating to project completion and to the project's structural integrity. We examined progress billings for mathematical accuracy, adequacy, and completeness. We computed total project costs, and compared budgeted with actual amounts to account for any variances. Finally, we identified and analyzed factors that contributed to the delay.
Our compilation covered the period from the contract inception in December 1998 through January 2002. To accomplish our objectives, we interviewed knowledgeable officials and employees of DPW, PSS, and the contractor's Legal Counsel. We also obtained and reviewed relevant contract documents from DPW, PSS, the contractor, and the Department of Finance (DOF).
OPA believes that it is not qualified to comment on the technical construction aspects of the project. Consequently, any discussions pertaining to the integrity of the building structures or any discussions of the structural defects were based solely on documents we obtained during the compilation.
OPA has no assurance that it obtained or reviewed all project documents, correspondences, and other printed project information. OPA did, within the allotted time available, review and summarize selected events that may have contributed to the project's delay, as well as other information that may have raised safety concerns.
Conclusion: According to DPW, PSS and OIA officials interviewed, the construction of the Kagman Elementary school was delayed because the contractor lacked the needed resources to complete the project. The US-ACOE report cited the contractor's ineffective system of quality control and the government's lack of quality assurance as factors which also may have contributed to the delay. We believe that unclear project oversight, as exercised by DPW and PSS, likewise may have contributed to the delay.
