Report 2018-114 Recommendation 12 Responses

Report 2018-114: Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program: The Departments of General Services and Veterans Affairs Have Failed to Maximize Participation and to Accurately Measure Program Success (Release Date: February 2019)

Recommendation #12 To: General Services, Department of

To ensure that its outreach efforts are effective and result in a greater number of DVBE firms available that can provide the necessary goods and services awarding departments are seeking, General Services should work with awarding departments to identify the types of goods and services for which they struggle to find a DVBE contractor or subcontractor.

6-Month Agency Response

DGS continues to meet with state departments and advocates to discuss goods and services they struggle to procure from DVBE contractors or subcontractors. Since April 2019, each SB/DVBE advocate meeting has included DVBE participation as a standing agenda item and has allowed departments an opportunity to discuss their specific department needs for DVBE goods and services and share strategies with other departments for finding DVBE firms. Advocates are encouraged to report their department's needs to support this endeavor with the Outreach team on an ongoing basis.

In addition, all department advocates received a survey from OSDS in May 2019 asking them to identify what struggles and best practices their department's buyers had in procuring from DVBEs, so that the Outreach team can better target DVBE firms that align with departments' needs. As of July 8, 2019, 85 advocate survey responses have been collected. Outreach is using the information to provide ongoing DVBE contracting guidance to departments.

DGS will also continue to address specific department needs for DVBE contractors and subcontractors during agency visits with departments who fail to meet their SB and/or DVBE goals. Departments are encouraged to contact the Outreach team throughout the year for DVBE contracting assistance.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

DGS' Outreach Team will continue to maintain communication with all state departments to help identify what types of goods and services departments struggle with finding DVBE firms to provide.

Moving forward, all SB/DVBE advocate meetings will have DVBE participation as a standing agenda item (starting at the April 23, 2019 meeting), which will give departments an opportunity to discuss their specific department needs for DVBE goods and services. After the April 23, 2019 meeting, all department advocates will receive a survey from OSDS asking them to identify their department's top DVBE areas of need, so that the Outreach Team can adjust and target DVBE firms that more closely align with departments' needs. The survey data provided by advocates will be collected and analyzed by July 1, 2019. This data will be used to create a plan for targeted DVBE outreach in order to better serve the needs of state departments. This plan will be finalized and implemented by January 1, 2020.

OSDS will also continue to address specific department needs for DVBE contractors and subcontractors during all agency visits with departments who fail to meet their SB and/or DVBE goals. All departments are encouraged to contact the DGS' Outreach Team throughout the year if they need any SB or DVBE contracting assistance.

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

All Recommendations in 2018-114

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.