Report 2016-104 Recommendation 7 Responses

Report 2016-104: California Public Utilities Commission: It Should Reform Its Rules to Increase Transparency and Accountability, and Its Contracting Practices Do Not Align With Requirements or Best Practices (Release Date: September 2016)

Recommendation #7 To: Public Utilities Commission

To ensure that its contracting practices align with state requirements and best practices, the CPUC should provide immediate refresher training to its contract analysts and contracts office manager, and establish a regular schedule of annual training for them to attend.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2020

A Master Training Schedule Sheet has been implemented, and includes tracking of existing trainings taken, and scheduling of future trainings to be taken by each Buyer. Schedule includes instructions for scheduling and follow up expectations.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

The Contract Analysts have completed the DGS CalProcurement and Contracting Academy certificate program. Staff are encouraged to attend a minimum of 2 courses each year to maintain current skill sets, trainings taken are monitored in the internal shared drive and on CalPCA's portal. However, training will continue as new analysts are hired.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

The CPUC did not provide evidence that it has a training schedule for its contracts office staff or contracts office manager. Although it is encouraging to see that the CPUC reiterates its encouragement for staff to attend a minimum of two courses per year, a stronger approach would be, as we recommend, to preplan the classes that staff must attend in the form of a schedule.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2018

Pilot Contract Management, Contract Eval training was provided to Energy Division project managers. More training to be scheduled. Contracts and Procurement staff are required to take Certification courses from DGS' CalPCA training academy; Certified staff must continue to take at least 2 courses per year - new or refresher. All have been completed.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

The CPUC did not provide evidence that it has a training schedule for its contracts office staff or contracts office manager. Further, it has not provided evidence that its staff attended the training that the CPUC claims.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2017

Contract training was provided to over 60 contract managers in October.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

The CPUC states that it has provided training to its contract managers, not the individuals to whom our recommendation pertains: its contract analysts and contracts office manager. As we explained in our comment on the CPUC's most recent response to this recommendation (the one-year response), the CPUC provided evidence that its contracts office staff have attended some relevant training and professional development events. However, the CPUC has still not provided any evidence that it has established a regular schedule of training for its contracts office staff or contracts office manager.

1-Year Agency Response

The contractor and the contract office will be providing training on both October 9th and October 11th for all contract managers.

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

The CPUC provided evidence that its contracts office staff have attended some relevant training and professional development events. However, the CPUC has still not provided any evidence that it has established a regular schedule of training for its contracts office staff or contracts office manager.

6-Month Agency Response

The contract staff has been attending training both by webinar and by attending training in Sacramento. All contract analysts are registered with CalPCA training system which offers more than 12 classes including a 5 Day Basic Certification Class. The Contract Manager maintains copies of training history and encourages all staff to periodically attend classes and webinars.

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

As indicated in its 60-day response, CPUC recently hired new contract analysts. As of this six-month response, CPUC demonstrated that its staff were receiving some training related to state contracting requirements. However, it has not developed a formal training plan for these staff or its contracts office manager that goes beyond May 2017. Further, records it provided indicate that it has not provided refresher training to one of its contract analysts. Although CPUC asserted that it plans to have staff attend webinars and trainings on an ongoing basis, it should develop a formal plan to do so and indicate the specific training sessions that staff will attend.

60-Day Agency Response

CPUC is hiring for three positions in the contract office, two vacancies and one approaching retirement. Once all staff has been hired, the Contract and Procurement Supervisor will develop a training plan for all staff. The goal is to ensure all staff will attend the required training needed for certification by DGS.

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

All Recommendations in 2016-104

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.