The Department of Personnel and the Department of Parks and Recreation failed to scrutinize the qualifications of several employees hired in 2005 and 2006, ignored rules for making temporary appointments and neglected to put open positions out for competition, according to a new audit.
The report from Inspector General Charles Willoughby stems from the employment of five people at DPR between March 2005 and May 2006, when the agency was directed by Kimberley Flowers under Mayor Anthony Williams. Despite the audit’s specific targets, the problems listed “have significant system-wide implications at DCOP,” the report states, from insufficient policies addressing qualification reviews to a lack of human resource training.
Personnel did not follow regulations when it allowed DPR to hire three of the five employees on a noncompetitive temporary basis, did not document whether the appointees met minimum standards and did not solicit open competition when the appointees were given permanent positions, the report found.
“As such, neither DCOP nor DPR can be assured that the best qualified applicants were selected and appointed to the positions or that District residents received proper consideration for the positions,” according to the audit. “Additionally, these conditions could convey, at a minimum, the perception that DCOP/DPR gave preferential treatment to the five employees.”
The audit did not name the employees.
In a written response to the audit, Brender Gregory, acting DCOP director, said she agrees with the IG’s many recommendations for improvement. In the meantime, DCOP’s senior policy expert will run the agency’s recruiting division “indefinitely,” said Michael Rupert, spokesman for the personnel office.
The IG expects a report detailing corrective action by March 15.
Wanda Durden, interim DPR director, said her agency bears little responsibility, as “We note that all of the recommendations presented in your draft report are directed to the District of Columbia Office of Personnel.”
