A Performance Audit
An Audit of Report on the Department of Public Safety’s Compliance with Requirements Related to the Historically Underutilized Business and State Use Programs
October 2016
Summary Analysis
Compliance with Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program Requirements
The Department of Public Safety (Department) should strengthen its HUB reporting processes and report complete and accurate data to the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts (Comptroller’s Office).
The Department complied with statutes, rules, and Comptroller’s Office requirements related to HUB planning and outreach.
The Department is also subject to the requirements of the Purchasing from People with Disabilities (State Use) Program. The Department has processes in place to help ensure compliance with State Use Program requirements and its existing policies and procedures.
Auditors also followed up on three prior recommendations related to the HUB and State Use programs addressed to the Comptroller’s Office in An Audit Report on Selected State Entities’ Compliance with Requirements Related to the Historically Underutilized Business Program and the State Use Program (State Auditor’s Office Report No. 15-006, October 2014). The Comptroller’s Office fully implemented two of those three recommendations; the implementation of one recommendation was incomplete.
The Department reported HUB expenditure and other supplemental information to the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts (Comptroller’s Office) in a timely manner. However, that information was inaccurate. Specifically, the Department did not have adequate processes to report accurate information for the number of bids it received from HUBs and the number of contracts it awarded to HUBS and non-HUBS for fiscal year 2015.
For fiscal year 2015, the Department had processes in place to ensure compliance with all three planning requirements tested.
In addition, for fiscal year 2015, the Department had processes in place to ensure compliance with all four outreach requirements tested.
The Department appropriately designated a Purchasing from People with Disabilities (State Use) Program coordinator to ensure compliance with requirements. The Department also developed procedures that require purchasers to check on the availability of products and services from TIBH Industries5 prior to making a purchasing decision.
However, the Department did not always comply with the State Use Program requirements tested. Specifically, the Department did not accurately report its exceptions to the State Use Program.
The Comptroller’s Office has made progress in implementing recommendations the State Auditor’s Office made in An Audit Report on Selected State Entities’ Compliance with Requirements Related to the Historically Underutilized Business Program and the State Use Program (State Auditor’s Office Report No. 15-006, October 2014).
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