Most government of Guam agencies and agency heads failed to get the full law-required certification training that would help ensure taxpayer-paid goods and services go through open and fair procurement, according to a public auditor’s report.
Education Superintendent Jon Fernandez is the only one among administrators who obtained procurement training certification in all four modules.
Even at the General Services Agency, which is responsible for GovGuam’s centralized procurement and warehousing activities, only two individuals obtained certification in all four modules.
This is according to the Office of Public Accountability’s follow-up audit report on GovGuam’s procurement training and certification.
Under the previous administration, there were nine agency heads who completed procurement training in all four modules, the report said.
OPA’s audit findings include:
- Only 17 or 30% of 56 newly appointed directors and administrators obtained Module 1 certification.
- Of 50 GovGuam line agencies, only 13 or 26% of directors or administrators obtained Module 1 certification, though most line agencies’ procurement goes through GSA.
- Five autonomous agencies have a deputy or chief procurement officer who obtained all four modules.
Guam law mandates that all GovGuam personnel responsible for procuring goods, services or construction receive training and continuing education through the Guam Community College’s Procurement Training and Certification, or PTAC, Program.
No agency head may act as the responsible head of procurement without receiving training in Modules 3 or 4, the OPA report said.
Public Auditor Benjamin Cruz, in the OPA report, continued to recommend obtaining the required training and certifications according to procurement capacity.
The recommendation was for all directors and administrators of line and autonomous agencies, mayors, and executive, legislative and judicial branch officials and their procurement personnel.
Decline in procurement appeals
Cruz said since GCC administered the procurement training and certification in 2012, procurement appeals have significantly decreased, from 19 in calendar year 2012 to nine in 2020.
“This is one indication that providing appropriate training to employees handling GovGuam procurement equips them with the necessary knowledge to perform their job efficiently and effectively and overall achieve the objective of GovGuam procurement,” the public auditor said.
The public auditor also said that other than the OPA compliance audits, there is no entity monitoring agency compliance with the procurement training.
Until such time an entity is established to monitor compliance, OPA recommends that the Legislature amend the law to require all agencies to submit a report summarizing procurement training compliance of its employees responsible for procurement.
The report, according to the public auditor, is to be submitted to OPA 30 days after the end of each fiscal year.
GCC President Mary Okada, in response to the OPA report, said the college prepares more procurement training and certification, and will create additional continuing education classes for the 149 GovGuam employees already certified in all four modules, as recommended in the prior audit.
‘More has to be done’
Speaker Tina Muña Barnes on Monday wrote to Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, raising concerns about the lack of training certification for many GovGuam line agencies.
The speaker said “more has to be done to train employees in procurement law to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.”
“Every agency purchases and procures items and services, it is imperative that all agencies have at least one employee trained and certified under all four modules to reduce the occurrence of costly procurement protests,” Muña Barnes wrote.
She is the chair of the legislative committee with oversight on public accountability and human resources.
