IG On VA/SPAWAR Contract Mess

I have picked up some pretty good intelligence that the VA inspector general has just finished a report detailing mismanagement of contracts that the department's IT shop farmed out to the Space and Naval Systems Center.

That report, I'm told, was sent to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki late last week and, I hope, will be publicly released real soon.

I'm told that SPAWAR has 44 contracts with the IT shop, including a project to build a system to handle claims under the new GBI bill, which goes into effect this August.

I have a query that is well over a month old on what are the other 43 projects with VA and am anxiously awaiting an answer.

I have learned that one of those contracts includes a loopy project for SPAWAR to mentor VA IT folks who hold a Senior Executive Service rank. Why, oh why, do VA SESers need mentoring by the Navy?