Report 2020-301 Recommendation 1 Responses

Report 2020-301: Judicial Branch Procurement: Courts Generally Met Procurement Requirements, but Some Need to Improve Their Payment Practices (Release Date: January 2021)

Recommendation #1 To: Superior Court of California, County of Alameda

To ensure that it expends public funds appropriately, the court should immediately require staff to match invoices to appropriate supporting documentation and to adhere to the established authorization limits when approving invoices.

6-Month Agency Response

Updates to the AP Desk Manual were completed.

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

The court provided documentation of updated procedures for reviewing and approving invoices which, if followed, should help ensure that it expends public funds appropriately.

60-Day Agency Response

The Court has revised its invoice approval authorization limit matrix, updated the invoice approval signature cards, and a revised the invoice code strips to include accounts payable staff verification and acknowledgement of invoice and supporting documentation matching prior to payment processing.

Revisions to the accounts payable staff desk manual have been started and are expected to be completed by April 1, 2021.

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

All Recommendations in 2020-301

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.