Follow-Up for Bid Specification Requirements for Solicitations, November 2018

Opportunities for Executive Summary improvement As part of the Annual Audit Plan, the Clerk of Circuit Court and County Comptroller’s Internal Audit Department and Office of the Inspector General conducted an independent audit of Bid Specification Requirements for Soliciations.  Internal Audit obtained an understanding of the process for soliciting for goods and services utilizing six (6) procurement methods.  Between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017, a total of 118 solicitations were processed related to the six (6) procurement methods under review.  Internal Audit selected and reviewed a random sample of 51 solicitations.  There appears to be issues of non- compliance with the guidelines as found in the Procurement Manual and Standard Operating Procedures developed to ensure compliance with the Sarasota County Procurement Code.  Identified opportunities for improvement. Compliance  Develop and implement a quality assurance process to ensure valid proof of insurance is obtained from the awarded vendor timely.  Document the review for existing contracts prior to publishing a solicitation.  Obtain and document vendor qualifications required per bid specifications. Process Improvement  Require secondary approval for all addendums.  Require proof of insurance be obtained in the solicitation process rather than in the purchase requisition process. 2 | A u d i t o f B i d S p e c i f i c a t i o n R e q u i r e m e n t s J a n u a r y 2 0 1 8