Report 2015-121 Recommendation 4 Responses
Report 2015-121: California Department of Veterans Affairs: The State Paid Nearly $28 Million for a Flawed System That Fails to Meet the Needs of Its Veterans Homes (Release Date: June 2016)
Recommendation #4 To: Veterans Affairs, Department of
To ensure that it complies with state contracting laws and can demonstrate the basis for its decisions when awarding contracts, by September 2016 CalVet should establish a process to periodically verify that its staff follow state contracting requirements and maintain all required contract documentation.
1-Year Agency Response
CalVet has revised it's IT Project Policy to include ensuring that its staff follow state contracting requirements and maintain all contract documentation.
- Completion Date: February 2017
- Response Date: June 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented
6-Month Agency Response
CalVet has added the contracting verification process to the CalVet Contract Management Handbook. Mandatory training for CalVet procurement and contracting staff was held on August 23 - August 25, 2016. The CalVet Contract Management Handbook and process was introduced and addressed at the workshop.
- Completion Date: September 2016
- Response Date: December 2016
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
Although CalVet's response indicates that it added a contract verification process to its contract management handbook, this change does not establish a process to periodically verify that staff follow the requirements and maintain all required contract documentation. When we followed up with CalVet, staff stated that CalVet plans to draft a policy to establish a process to periodically verify staff maintain required documentation by the end of January 2017.
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
60-Day Agency Response
CalVet has added the contracting verification process to the CalVet Contract Management Handbook. Mandatory training for department procurement and contracting staff is scheduled for August 23 - August 25, 2016. The CalVet Contract Management Handbook and process will be introduced and addressed at the workshop. Additionally, the contracting verification process will be added to the CalVet Administrative Manual.
- Estimated Completion Date: August 25, 2016
- Response Date: August 2016
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2015-121
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.