Image: Pavel Losevsky

The Department of Homeland Security recently finished reviewing about 100 service contracts, and the next step could be bringing some  positions in house through in-sourcing, according to a report in Federal Times.

DHS also plans to review every existing and future contract.

The contracts that have thus far been reviewed are a just a fraction of the more than 10,000 service contracts the agency has on the books. But, Federal Times reports the review and the determination on in-sourcing would likely “pave the way for similar evaluations of all of the department’s. . . service contracts.”

Jeff Neal, chief human capital officer for DHS, did not say how many jobs, if any, would be in-sourced as a result of the review. But, analysts agree DHS’ comprehensive approach to studying in-sourcing could have repercussions, not just across the agency but across the federal government as well.

DHS’ formalized approach stems from the Balanced Workforce Program Management Office, an in-sourcing pilot program designed to create specific “data-driven” methods of reviewing in-sourcing, Federal Times reported.

The Army, meanwhile, has also pushed for more formalized approaches to in-sourcing. But, while DHS’ program is generally seen as expanding the agency’s in-sourcing efforts, a recent memo from Army Secretary John McHugh was seen as putting a damper on plans to phase contractor positions into government ones.

“In an era of significantly constrained resources, the Army must approach the in­-sourcing of functions currently performed by contract in a well-reasoned, analytically based and systemic manner,” McHugh said in the memo.