Procurement and competitive bidding laws can be complicated, often varying based on government type, the nature of the procurement, and the estimated cost, and it can be difficult to wade through existing requirements or stay updated on new ones.
This article was originally published in the special issue of the Digital Audit Connection for the 2023 Washington Association of School Business Officials conference. Read the full issue here.
Automated Clearing House (ACH) and other types of payment fraud are on the rise, and bad actors are using vendor master files to do it. It starts with a simple request to change a vendor's contact information, payment address or banking details, and ends it with thousands or even millions of dollars in public funds being redirected to fraudulent accounts.
Government-issued credit card programs provide convenience to employees while reducing procurement costs for small, frequently purchased items. Not only do these programs decrease the administrative burden of processing employee reimbursements, they also reduce the hassle of creating purchase orders with various vendors. It's no wonder these programs are growing in popularity.
Originally published May 26, 2022
Updated September 6, 2023
Spring has sprung, and it's time to start cleaning up your financial records from years' past! Why not tackle the messy buildup in your vendor master file? This database file containing information about your government's vendors needs a periodic scrubbing.
Piggybacking is the ability to use another government's bid award without going through your own competitive process. It can be complicated, which is why we have updated our guide—Piggybacking under Washington State Law—to address your most common questions and alert you to changes in our guidance. Don't worry: It still includes a step-by-step approach to piggybacking, as well as an optional checklist for you to use!
Published: March 31, 2022
Before hiring a contractor to work on your home, it's wise to make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured. It helps to protect you if the contractor doesn't complete work properly, if there are any damages, or if workers are injured while at your home. For governments, it's not just wise—it's required by law.
Smaller governments frequently procure goods and services without a procurement manager. While smaller governments can get by without designated procurement managers for their daily operations, they occasionally take on larger projects like new building construction that can strain their limited resources. The burden of managing these projects often falls to managers who have several other duties or lack procurement expertise. Whether you have small or large procurements, here are five survival tips to help you navigate the procurement process:
Originally Published: August 24, 2021
As you enter into new federally funded contracts this year, you need to know if your contractor has been banned from doing business with the federal government. Commonly referred to as suspension and debarment, these requirements are fairly easy to comply with, yet they are one of SAO's most common audit findings. We first ran this article in August 2021, and due to its importance, we're republishing it as a reminder.