Report I2009-0640 Recommendation 13 Responses
Report I2009-0640: California Department of Transportation: Caltrans Employees Engaged in Inexcusable Neglect of Duty, Received Overpayment for Overtime, Falsified Test Data, and Misappropriated State Property (Release Date: March 2013)
Case Number I2009-0640
Recommendation #13 To: Transportation, Department of
To address the misappropriation of state property by the supervisor, we recommend that Caltrans establish controls to ensure that materials intended for a construction project are tracked properly, and that when materials intended for a federal highway project are not used for the project, the materials are reused for other federal projects or returned to the Highway Administration. (See I2009-0640, p. 24)
Agency Response From August 2014
Caltrans reported that it resolved this recommendation when it issued a memorandum in April 2013 to remind resident engineers of their responsibility to ensure that surplus and salvaged materials from construction projects are documented and properly tracked for future use. Caltrans also reported that it had originally intended for a computerized construction management system to track the purchase and subsequent use for return of all materials used on federal highway projects. However, this system has been placed on hold indefinitely while a third party performs a technical assessment of the system. Caltrans stated that it will determine the best strategy regarding the system when the assessment is complete.
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Resolved
Agency Response From June 2014
Caltrans reported that the suspension of its contract still remains in effect through April 1, 2015. In the interim, Caltrans stated that it has engaged an independent third party to perform a technical assessment of the computerized construction management system. Caltrans reiterated that it will evaluate the assessment of the system and make a business decision regarding the future of this project after the suspension ends.
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Partially Implemented
Agency Response From April 2014
Caltrans reported that the suspension of its contract with the vendor of the computerized construction management system remains in effect, and it expects the suspension to continue through April 1, 2015. While the suspension remains in effect, Caltrans will continue to perform an assessment of the computerized construction management system. After the suspension ends, Caltrans will evaluate its assessment of the system and make a business decision regarding the future of this project.
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Partially Implemented
Agency Response From January 2014
Caltrans told us that it has suspended its contract with the vendor of the computerized construction management system that it was trying to implement. During this period of suspension, it will perform an assessment of the project and determine what to do next.
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Partially Implemented
Agency Response From October 2013
Caltrans reported that it is trying to implement a computerized construction management system that will allow it to track the purchase and subsequent use or return of all materials used on federal highway projects. However, during testing of the system, it identified more than 200 critical and severe "bugs" that must be resolved before the system can be implemented. Accordingly, Caltrans is still working to implement the system.