General Services Commission
An Audit Report on Management Controls at the General Services Commission
Report Number 97-080
August 1997
Overall Conclusion
The Commissioners and Executive Management of the General Services Commission (Agency) have not provided sufficient direction, support, and oversight to ensure that long-standing operational problems have been corrected. An overall lack of accountability has resulted in routine circumvention of statutory requirements, pricing and procurement decisions based on incomplete and inconsistent information, and practices that limit the effectiveness and efficiency of services provided to external agencies. The Agency serves and supports over 700 state entities by providing a wide range of services.
Key Facts and Findings
Despite the fact that many of the weaknesses discussed in this report have been repeatedly identified as problem areas, implementation of improvements remains primarily crisis-driven. The seriousness and repetitive nature of these issues indicates that the Agency's efforts to improve operations have been incomplete and have not sufficiently addressed the root causes of the problems. The Commissioners and Executive Management must provide sufficient direction and oversight to ensure accountability for changes.
The Agency has routinely ignored or circumvented statutory requirements, agency policies, and sound business practices governing many of the services it provides. Regular override of sound practices in the procurement of construction services limits the Agency's ability to spend tax dollars wisely.
The Commissioners and Agency management often do not have the appropriate information for decision-making. Lack of intra-agency coordination, consistent and validated methodologies, and adequate information systems has resulted in procurement and pricing decisions based on inconsistent and incomplete information.
In its role as a support agency, the General Services Commission should be more aggressive and proactive in providing good customer service, as well as improving the economy and efficiency of the various services it provides. Inadequate management of construction and architect/engineer service contracts has resulted in project delays, price escalations, and strained relations between the Agency and the entities it serves. Additionally, the State continues to do business with poorly performing vendors because the Agency does not consistently use information on past vendor performance in the procurement process.
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