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Procurement Ethics Discussions in Jacksonville
Friday, August 21st, 2009
Robert Wechsler
Jacksonville's ethics commission continues to explore interesting and
valuable ideas, according to an
article this week in the Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record.
At the first meeting of the commission's new procurement subcommittee,
loopholes in the bidding process were discussed.
Procurement is one of the most important aspects of local government ethics, because it is the area where the greatest temptations exist (everything from kickbacks to work on officials' homes to large campaign contributions) and where there can be the greatest savings for residents by ensuring truly competitive bidding, with no favoritism.
The subcommittee also discussed a Solicitation Silence Policy, akin to Miami-Dade's Cone of Silence, whereby once a job has gone out to bid, "all communication must be in writing and it will be reviewed and addressed in writing." The goal is to have all communication about contracts public, equal, and above board.
Getting involved in procurement won't make too many friends for an ethics commission, but it is an important part of its work, especially if no one else is responsibly handling and enforcing procurement rules, filling the loopholes, making sure that there is no favoritism (e.g., via specifications that favor one bidder over others), and making sure that officials are not tempted, or able, to intervene in the process.
Finally, the subcommittee discussed the possibility of an ethics award given each year by the EC to a citizen who "has labored to advance the culture of ethics in Jacksonville." It's important to use all positive means of improving a local government's ethics environment, because the negatives are usually what people focus on.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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Procurement is one of the most important aspects of local government ethics, because it is the area where the greatest temptations exist (everything from kickbacks to work on officials' homes to large campaign contributions) and where there can be the greatest savings for residents by ensuring truly competitive bidding, with no favoritism.
The subcommittee also discussed a Solicitation Silence Policy, akin to Miami-Dade's Cone of Silence, whereby once a job has gone out to bid, "all communication must be in writing and it will be reviewed and addressed in writing." The goal is to have all communication about contracts public, equal, and above board.
Getting involved in procurement won't make too many friends for an ethics commission, but it is an important part of its work, especially if no one else is responsibly handling and enforcing procurement rules, filling the loopholes, making sure that there is no favoritism (e.g., via specifications that favor one bidder over others), and making sure that officials are not tempted, or able, to intervene in the process.
Finally, the subcommittee discussed the possibility of an ethics award given each year by the EC to a citizen who "has labored to advance the culture of ethics in Jacksonville." It's important to use all positive means of improving a local government's ethics environment, because the negatives are usually what people focus on.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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