Report 2014-301 Recommendation 16 Responses

Report 2014-301: Judicial Branch Procurement: Five Superior Courts Did Not Consistently Follow Judicial Branch Contracting Practices (Release Date: November 2014)

Recommendation #16 To: Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo

To improve its procurement practices and comply with the judicial contracting manual, the San Luis Obispo court should take steps to ensure that pricing it receives is fair and reasonable when it uses leveraged procurement agreements and document these steps in its procurement files.

60-Day Agency Response

In December 2014, the San Luis Obispo Superior Court added a Price Analysis for Reasonableness section into the Procurement Summary document. This analysis will be required for all purchases under a Master Agreement or Leveraged Procurement to confirm that the price of the service or item included in the Master Agreement or Leveraged Procurement contract is fair and reasonable. If it is determined that better pricing can be obtained through negotiation with the vendor or by opening the procurement up to a bid process, the procurement will be made in that manner.

Documentation of the entire process, including a complete cost analysis will be included in the procurement file, and be available for future reference. Additional training and materials have been provided to procurement staff to ensure that this process is followed as established in the Judicial Branch Contracting Manual and in the Local Contracting Manual.

Please contact Patsy Glenn, Court Accountant II, at (805) 781-5622 or via email patsy.glenn@slo.courts.ca.gov for further questions or assistance.

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

All Recommendations in 2014-301

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.