Report 2012-301 Recommendation 1 Responses

Report 2012-301: Judicial Branch Procurement: Six Superior Courts Generally Complied With the Judicial Branch Contracting Law, but They Could Improve Some Policies and Practices (Release Date: March 2013)

Recommendation #1 To: Administrative Office of the Courts

To comply with state requirements, the Judicial Council should include policies in the judicial contracting manual regarding the State's small business preference for information technology procurements.

1-Year Agency Response

The judicial contracting manual was revised effective January 1, 2014, to require judicial branch entities to adopt small business preference procedures applicable to the competitive procurement of information technology goods and services.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

Although the Judicial Council will ultimately decide what action is appropriate with respect to the small business preference, the AOC anticipates presenting to the Judicial Council for approval at its meeting scheduled for December 12-13, 2013, revisions to the current Judicial Branch Contracting Manual that will include a small business preference for information technology procurements. The public comment period regarding proposed revisions to the manual ended October 11, 2013; comments received will be included in the public report relating to the Judicial Council's consideration of proposed revisions.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The AOC consulted with the California Technology Agency. The AOC currently anticipates presenting to the Judicial Council for approval revisions to the current judicial contracting manual that will include a small business preference for information technology procurements.

The AOC anticipates that the effective date of any revisions to the judicial contracting manual will be no later than January 1, 2014. The Chief Counsel, AOC Legal Services Office, or her designee, is the person responsible for submitting to the Judicial Council a proposed revised version of the judicial contracting manual.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2012-301

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.