Conclusion

The results of the audit indicate that, in many of the key areas, WD is managing its procurement and contracting program well. The basic components of the management framework exist:

• There is a Contract Review Committee and Corporate Procurement Services Officer at Headquarters that review and/or approve requests for non-competitive (sole-source) contracts over $10,000 submitted by the regions;
  
  
• There are Regional Finance Managers and Contracting Officers in each region that review and/or approve requests for contracts;
  
  
• There is a procurement specialist in each region;
  
  
• Managers generally understand contracting policies and guidelines and their roles and responsibilities for procurement;
  
  
• Training is available for all staff involved in procurement and for departmental staff;
  
  
• Contracting information is available on the intranet; and
  
  
• Good communication takes place between Headquarters and the regions.

Generally, the contract requests are clearly defined, adequately justified, properly approved and appropriate procurement methods are utilized. There is a high degree of compliance with Sections 32 and 34 of the FAA. Contracts over $10,000 are proactively disclosed on WD’s public website.

There are areas where improvement can be made to strengthen overall effectiveness of the contracting function. Those areas of improvement are outlined in the recommendations included in this report.