The District lacks the staff, resources, organization and strict oversight to manage an efficient contracting and procurement system, the federal government’s auditor found in a damning new report.
Prepared by the Government Accountability Office at the request of U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, R-Va., the audit picks apart D.C. contracting and procurements laws and policies, finding weaknesses across the government. Nearly 22 percent of the District’s fiscal year 2005 budget was spent on procurement, the GAO reported.
“The report makes clear that D.C. procurement is fatally flawed, both in its structure and execution, affecting all aspects of governance,” Davis said.
The District, the audit found, operates a procurement system that “does not incorporate a number of generally accepted key principles and practices…” The city’s procurement law is choked with loopholes, the report states; its chief procurement officer is too low in the government leadership and has insufficient authority; its workforce is not adequately trained; and its technology and tools are inadequate.
