Article XII, Section 2-423 in the Palm Beach County Code provides for the inspector general to be notified in writing prior to any meeting of a selection committee where any matter relating to the procurement of goods or services by the county is to be discussed.

The OIG contract oversight staff may be present at scheduled selection committees for procurement of services and goods; conduct on-site visits; and provide fraud awareness and prevention training.

The goal of the Contract Oversight section of the OIG is to promote accountability, integrity, and efficiency throughout county and municipal procurement processes.  To that end, we:

• Initiate, conduct, supervise, and coordinate contract oversight activities to detect, deter, prevent, and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in county and municipal government procurement;
• Periodically attend contract selection committee meetings and provide feedback, where appropriate;
• Conduct contract oversight reviews of an entity’s procurement process which would result in recommendations to address shortcomings, irregularities and/or opportunities for improvement
• Conduct procurement and fraud awareness training for county and municipal employees and vendors/contractors; and
• Promote full and open competition and arm’s-length negotiations with vendors/contractors.

Contract Oversight will issue the following reports:

• Contract Oversight Observation – a letter to management identifying an activity in the procurement process that does not comply with established policy and procedures.  A response to the OIG is not required.
• Contract Oversight Notification – an official notification to management identifying material weaknesses in the procurement process that may, or may not, comply with established policy and procedures.  A response to the OIG is required.
• Contract Oversight Review – a detailed report based on an in-depth review of one or more procurement process/activity/area that identifies risk(s) and irregularities.  These may be initiated in response to a complaint or expressed concern or at the request of management as a tool for program improvement.  A response to the OIG is required.

The OIG must maintain its independence and therefore does not provide operational guidance in an entity’s procurement process, nor assist in the development of procurement policy and/or procedures.

What to Expect When Contacted By CONTRACT OVERSIGHT Staff