A new audit by the federal government lays the infamously poor rollout of HealthCare.gov on the public workers charged with overseeing the $600 million project of building the website.

For instance, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid disregarded federal rules mandating that employees overseeing private contracts worth more than $10 million receive 96 hours of training on managing complex projects. A number of contracts worth tens of millions of dollars were overseen by untrained and under-qualified employees, according to the audit.

In fact, the audit found that the CMS staff in charge of monitoring private contractors won't have acquired the required training until October 2016. The agency has more than 400 staffers devoted to overseeing contracts.

Staff turnover was another major issue preventing a smooth preparation for the October 2013 rollout of the website aimed at enrolling millions in health care plans. Furthermore, the agency was often unaware of who was in charge of the projects.

Perhaps most damning, CMS was unable to produce a number of documents demanded by auditors. The investigators also found that one employee had previously worked for one of the subcontractors he was overseeing, likely violating ethics laws by not disclosing his relationship.

The audit makes a series of recommendations on how to prevent future catastrophes. Among other suggestions, it advises contracting officers to fully document and evaluate the performance of past contractors for future reference and it urges CMS to more clearly specify in writing what those overseeing contracts are authorized and expected to do. Above all, the audit recommends additional training.

Instant Insights /

Healthcare.gov problems caused by lack of training, disorganization

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