Ohio's $3.46M Electronic Death Registration System Contract Lacks Competition, Raises Cost Concerns
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $3,458,387 ($3.5M)
Contractor: Ohio Department of Health
Awarding Agency: Social Security Administration
Start Date: 2023-12-27
End Date: 2026-12-26
Contract Duration: 1,095 days
Daily Burn Rate: $3.2K/day
Competition Type: NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP
Number of Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE
Sector: IT
Official Description: OHIO: ELECTRONIC DEATH REGISTRATION (EDR)
Place of Performance
Location: COLUMBUS, FRANKLIN County, OHIO, 43215
State: Ohio Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
Social Security Administration obligated $3.5 million to OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH for work described as: OHIO: ELECTRONIC DEATH REGISTRATION (EDR) Key points: 1. The contract for Ohio's Electronic Death Registration System (EDR) is valued at $3.46 million. 2. The award was not competed under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP), indicating potential for limited competition. 3. The primary risk lies in the lack of competitive bidding, which may lead to inflated pricing. 4. The sector is IT, specifically data processing and web hosting services.
Value Assessment
Rating: questionable
The contract's pricing is difficult to assess without competitive benchmarks. The lack of competition suggests potential overpricing compared to what might be achieved through a bidding process.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: limited
The contract was 'NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP,' suggesting it was not openly solicited. This limited competition likely impacted price discovery, potentially resulting in a higher cost for the government.
Taxpayer Impact: Taxpayers may be overpaying due to the absence of a competitive bidding process for this essential IT service.
Public Impact
Ensures accurate and timely death record management for public health initiatives. Supports vital statistics reporting at state and federal levels. Impacts the efficiency of healthcare and public safety agencies relying on death data.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Lack of competition
- Potential for overpricing
- Sole-source or limited competition award
Positive Signals
- Essential public health service
- Long-term contract duration
- Firm Fixed Price contract type
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the IT sector, specifically data processing and web hosting. Spending benchmarks for similar government IT services vary widely, but a lack of competition often inflates costs.
Small Business Impact
There is no indication that small businesses were involved in this procurement. The contract was awarded as a purchase order, and the lack of competition suggests it was not set aside for small business participation.
Oversight & Accountability
The 'NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP' designation warrants further oversight to ensure the justification for limited competition was sound and that taxpayer funds were used efficiently.
Related Government Programs
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services
- Social Security Administration Contracting
- Social Security Administration Programs
Risk Flags
- Lack of competitive bidding
- Potential for inflated pricing
- Limited transparency in award justification
- No indication of small business participation
Tags
computing-infrastructure-providers-data-, social-security-administration, oh, purchase-order, 1m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Social Security Administration awarded $3.5 million to OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. OHIO: ELECTRONIC DEATH REGISTRATION (EDR)
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Social Security Administration (Social Security Administration).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $3.5 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2023-12-27. End: 2026-12-26.
What was the specific justification for not competing this contract under SAP, and was it adequately documented?
The provided data states 'NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP,' but does not offer the specific justification. A thorough review of the contract file would be necessary to determine the rationale, such as a sole-source justification or a specific exception. Without this, it's difficult to assess if the limited competition was appropriate or if it led to a suboptimal price for the government.
How does the $3.46 million cost compare to similar electronic death registration systems in other states or jurisdictions?
Benchmarking this cost requires comparing it to similar systems in other states, considering factors like population served, features, and contract duration. Without access to comparable contract data, it's challenging to definitively state if $3.46 million is excessive. However, the lack of competition inherently raises concerns about potential overpricing compared to a competitively bid system.
What are the potential risks to public health data integrity and system reliability given the non-competitive award?
A non-competitive award can pose risks if the chosen vendor lacks robust security protocols or has a history of performance issues. Without competitive pressure, there might be less incentive for the vendor to proactively address potential system vulnerabilities or ensure high reliability. This could indirectly impact the integrity and availability of critical public health data managed by the EDR system.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Information › Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services › Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services
Product/Service Code: SUPPORT SVCS (PROF, ADMIN, MGMT) › ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: NOT COMPETED UNDER SAP
Solicitation Procedures: SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION
Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 246 N HIGH ST, COLUMBUS, OH, 43215
Business Categories: Category Business, Government, U.S. National Government, Not Designated a Small Business, U.S. Regional/State Government
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $5,809,275
Exercised Options: $3,458,387
Current Obligation: $3,458,387
Actual Outlays: $2,140,932
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Timeline
Start Date: 2023-12-27
Current End Date: 2026-12-26
Potential End Date: 2028-12-26 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2026-03-05
More Contracts from Ohio Department of Health
- OH Enumeration AT Birth (EAB) Ohio Electronic Birth Records for the Purpose of Obtaining Social Security Number (SSN) AT Birth — $2.9M (Social Security Administration)
Other Social Security Administration Contracts
- Itssc Task Order for Systems — $1.1B (Leidos, Inc.)
- Contractor IS to Provide the Expertise, Technical Knowledge, IT Support Personnel, and Other Related Resources Necessary for Systems Analysis and Testing — $734.1M (Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation)
- Contractor to Provide Development&database Support to Agency's Office of Software Engineering — $593.5M (Leidos, Inc.)
- THE Government Intends to Establish a Single-Award Delivery Order Base Plus Four 1year Option Periods for the Renewal of IBM Software Maintenance and the Purchase of More Additional IBM Software Licenses Against the General Services Administrations Federal Supply Schedule Program. Previous Order SS00-15-30081 — $525.4M (International Business Machines Corporation)
- NEW 66 Month Open-Market Contract for Renewal of CA Software, Support Services, and Maintenance. CA Proprietary Software Products ARE Used Extensively Throughout OUR Mainframe and Distributed Environments AT ALL SSA Data Centers — $419.8M (CA, Inc.)