NCJ Number
69788
Date Published
1976
Length
12 pages
Annotation
New York City's Department of Purchase was examined with respect to qualifications of bidders, the acceptance or rejection of bids, and the encouragement of competitive bidding.
Abstract
Through interviews with personnel at the department and examinations of applicable regulations, laws, files, and procedures, a task force found that the primary need for the city and the department of purchase is a redirection in the concept of the department's role. The city should not be satisfied and cannot afford an administrative function from a department charged with direct responsibility for over $100 million annually. Therefore, expert help should be sought from the private sector to install more sophisticated procurement techniques. Changes in organization, staffing, and methods will have to be instituted. Information, reporting, and recordkeeping must be improved with regard to gathering and analyzing statistics by vendor and by product for the number of awards, the cumulative value of awards, the vendors' performance in delivery, and analysis of cost levels. More effort must be devoted to broadening and upgrading buyers' expertise. A clear policy statement must be developed regarding the responsibilities among the office of management and budget, user agencies, the office of the comptroller, and the department of purchase. Manpower utilization must be improved. Warehousing distribution, and salvage alternatives must be explored. The functions of typing, filing, computers, addressograph machines, and other departmental operations must be analyzed to reduce overhead costs. Finally, a previously denied request for new computer equipment to establish an automatic inventory management system should be reevaluated.