USM’s Muskie School of Public Service is one of the primary recipients of “no bid” contracts awarded by state agencies, agreements that are coming under extensive review in the coming months.
The contracts are cooperative agreement with agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services. Under the agreements, the Muskie School conducts research and training for state institutions, mostly in the realm of public services. Students at the Muskie have been working in health and medical programs, child welfare, social work, transportation research, and other areas.
One study has helped determine how much money the state is raking in from of highway tolls. Another, still underway, examines the frequency and severity of local emergency room visits, with the goal of reducing the cost of Medicaid in Maine.
In theory, both the state and the schools benefit from the work, the two working closely to draft grant proposals for funding from the federal Government. If approved, money is awarded to the state and paid to local researchers. Ocassionally, competing organizations can bid on the project – in the “no bid” contracts in question, the award is nonnegotiable and delivered straight to a chosen school.
The competition is typically eliminated if the state has determined that cutting out bidding and employing a specific college would be the least costly and/or most beneficial option. A review by the state controller’s audit division of some 2007 contracts found that this wasn’t always the case.
In 2008’s fiscal year, $15.5 million of the cooperative agreement was spent on the Muskie School. Paul Saucier, Muskie’s Research Director, doesn’t doubt the commitment of the school and the state to review the agreement properly.
“I’m not concerned that there’s anything financially underhanded going on”, he says. “Every year we have discussions with state partners. There are negotiations where we agree on a scope of work, so if there’s anything people don’t find beneficial, it’s dropped out of the program.”
The state Controller’s Office hopes to begin the reviews this month. According to Saucier, it is a “very high-level group review”.
“If people have concerns, then I’m all for taking a look so the public can be assured that these are good activities for the state and school system to be involved in. If it’s beneficial to both parties, then it’s essentially beneficial to the public.”