Report 2018-114 Recommendation 23 Responses

Report 2018-114: Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program: The Departments of General Services and Veterans Affairs Have Failed to Maximize Participation and to Accurately Measure Program Success (Release Date: February 2019)

Recommendation #23 To: Transportation, Department of

To ensure that DVBE participation data are reported accurately and consistently, Caltrans should implement or strengthen a review process to ensure that DVBE participation amounts entered into its data systems or FI$Cal are accurate. This review process should include verification, on a sample basis, of the amounts awarded to, and the certification status of, the DVBE contractor or subcontractor for high-value contracts that include DVBE participation.

6-Month Agency Response

This recommendation has been fully implemented as the first quarterly review was completed in May 2019. The top 10 high-dollar contracts were reviewed against seven criteria developed to ensure compliance with the DVBE Program. All 10 contracts were 100 percent compliant for all seven criteria.

Caltrans' DPAC is in the process of replacing CATS with a system (CATSII) more capable of capturing, tracking, and reporting accurate data. We expect CATSII to be up and running September 2020.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

Caltrans Division of Procurements and Contracts (DPAC) has revised the Contract Officer/Analyst Section Peer Review Checklist to require that managers and peer reviewers verify the data entered into the Contracts Administrative Tracking System (CATS). DPAC also developed procedures and a checklist to perform quarterly reviews of high-dollar contracts to confirm DVBE certifications and verify that data was entered correctly in CATS. DPAC communicated both of these changes to their staff via emails.

DPAC continues working on the Request For Information for CATSII development and implementation.

Corrective action partially implemented; the first quarterly review will be completed by May 1, 2019.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2018-114

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.