Report 2023-302 All Recommendation Responses

Report 2023-302: Judicial Branch Procurement: Judicial Council of California (Release Date: January 2024)

Recommendation #1 To: Judicial Council of California

To ensure that it can appropriately detect and report potential instances of fraud in its contracting practices, the Judicial Council should do the following when it updates its contracting manual in 2024: include language that is substantially similar to the fraud-reporting language in section 20080 of SAM that pertains to contracting and procurement.

6-Month Agency Response

On May 2, 2024, the Judicial Council's Advisory Committee on Audits and Financial Accountability (Audit Committee) completed the public comment period for the proposed revisions to the contracting manual. At its June 26, 2024, meeting (https://www.courts.ca.gov/auditcommittee.htm), the Audit Committee approved its recommended revisions to the contracting manual. These revisions implement the State Auditor's recommendation. It is expected that the recommended revisions will be presented to the Judicial Council in September 2024, and the revisions to the contracting manual will be effective October 1, 2024.

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

60-Day Agency Response

Judicial Council staff is in the process of developing proposed revisions to the Judicial Branch Contracting Manual. Following review by the Audit Advisory Committee and a public comment period, it is anticipated that the proposed revisions would be presented to the Judicial Council in September 2024, and that the revisions to the contracting manual would be effective October 1, 2024.

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

Recommendation #2 To: Judicial Council of California

To ensure that it can appropriately detect and report potential instances of fraud in its contracting practices, the Judicial Council should do the following when it updates its contracting manual in 2024: require Judicial Council staff to report suspected instances of fraud to independent parties within the Judicial Council, such as the principal manager of audit services or chief administrative officer

6-Month Agency Response

On May 2, 2024, the Judicial Council's Advisory Committee on Audits and Financial Accountability (Audit Committee) completed the public comment period for the proposed revisions to the contracting manual. At its June 26, 2024, meeting (https://www.courts.ca.gov/auditcommittee.htm), the Audit Committee approved its recommended revisions to the contracting manual. These revisions implement the State Auditor's recommendation. It is expected that the recommended revisions will be presented to the Judicial Council in September 2024, and the revisions to the contracting manual will be effective October 1, 2024.

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

60-Day Agency Response

Judicial Council staff is in the process of developing proposed revisions to the Judicial Branch Contracting Manual. Following review by the Audit Advisory Committee and a public comment period, it is anticipated that the proposed revisions would be presented to the Judicial Council in September 2024, and that the revisions to the contracting manual would be effective October 1, 2024.

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

Recommendation #3 To: Judicial Council of California

By June 2024, the Judicial Council should ensure that procurement staff receive the revised training it develops to clarify the following: the circumstances under which staff must apply the certified small business preference when evaluating bids.

6-Month Agency Response

The Judicial Council's procurement team has completed development of training material and is scheduled to provide the recommended training during July 2024.

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

60-Day Agency Response

The Judicial Council's procurement team is on track to provide the recommended training to staff by the end of June 2024.

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

Recommendation #4 To: Judicial Council of California

By June 2024, the Judicial Council should ensure that procurement staff receive the revised training it develops to clarify the following: the correct type of solicitation process to use when procuring IT goods and services.

6-Month Agency Response

The Judicial Council's procurement team has completed development of training material and is scheduled to provide the recommended training during July 2024.

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

60-Day Agency Response

The Judicial Council's procurement team is on track to provide the recommended training to staff by the end of June 2024.

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

Recommendation #5 To: Judicial Council of California

By March 2024, the Judicial Council should do the following: formalize the processes by which contract dates are recorded in FI$Cal to ensure that the dates for any contracts it enters into in the future are accurate.

6-Month Agency Response

The Judicial Council's procurement team updated its business practices and training material to include appropriate direction on how to record contract start and end dates in Fi$Cal. In November 2023, existing procurement staff received direction on how to accurately report this data. All newly hired procurement staff receive proper direction during the onboarding/orientation process. We will attain full implementation upon delivery of training scheduled for July 2024.

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

60-Day Agency Response

In November 2023, Judicial Council procurement staff was instructed to record accurate contract start and end dates in FI$Cal for all transactions. This topic will also be included in the training to be provided to procurement staff by June 2024, and has been incorporated into the onboarding/orientation process for any newly hired procurement staff. Procurement leadership plans to periodically audit compliance with this procedural change.

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

Recommendation #6 To: Judicial Council of California

By March 2024, the Judicial Council should do the following: include in its procedures and training the steps required to record accurate dates when the Judicial Council executes a contract.

6-Month Agency Response

The Judicial Council's procurement team updated its business practices and training material to include appropriate direction on how to record contract start and end dates in Fi$Cal. In November 2023, existing procurement staff received direction on how to accurately report this data. All newly hired procurement staff receive proper direction during the onboarding/orientation process. We will attain full implementation upon delivery of training scheduled for July 2024.

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

60-Day Agency Response

Judicial Council procurement staff have been directed by management to record accurate contract start and end dates in FI$Cal for all transactions. Additionally, the training that will be provided to all Judicial Council procurement staff in June to address other recommendations from this audit will include the specific steps staff must take to record accurate dates in FI$Cal, and has been incorporated into the onboarding/orientation process for any newly hired procurement staff.

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

Recommendation #7 To: Judicial Council of California

By January 2025, the Judicial Council should correct in its FI$Cal data the inaccurate contract dates for procurements dating back to July 1, 2021.

6-Month Agency Response

Judicial Council procurement staff continue to correct the inaccurate dates within the system. We remain committed to completing all applicable updates within FI$Cal by the established January 2025 deadline.

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

60-Day Agency Response

Judicial Council procurement staff have been instructed to correct the inaccurate dates within the system and are in the process of doing so. We remain committed to completing all applicable updates within FI$Cal by the established January 2025 deadline.

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

All Recommendations in 2023-302

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.