RIDLEY-THOMAS CALLS FOR ENHANCED DATABASE SYSTEM TO TRACK POORLY PERFORMING CONTRACTORS

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 27, 2010                                                                                                                                            Contact: James Bolden 213-200-5314

                                                                                                                                      Aurelio Rojas 213-974-2222

 

SUPERVISOR RIDLEY-THOMAS CALLS FOR ENHANCED DATABASE SYSTEM  

TO TRACK POORLY PERFORMING CONTRACTORS 

LOS ANGELES – Calling it imperative that the County establish a system to alert departments of poorly performing service contractors, Supervisor Mark Ridley- Thomas today urged the Board to identify a mechanism to ensure the County only does business with responsible contractors providing vital services to residents.

The Auditor-Controller has routinely issued reports about poorly performing children’s mental and health services contractors, some of which materially overbilled the County or spent program funds inappropriately. 

Between 1990 to 2000, the County of Los Angeles implemented a contract database to track the performance of Proposition A, information technology, construction and cafeteria services contractors; this database is currently managed by the Internal Services Department. 

County departments currently use the database to evaluate the performance of contractors and to review the results of the evaluations during the contract solicitation process when contractors submit bids for new contracts.  County departments also use the database to report contractors that the County debarred. 

“Although the current database is a good start, it includes only a small percentage of County contractors,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. 

“The County, as a whole, does not have a mechanism in place to alert departments about all poorly performing contractors including children’s mental or health services providers. This is particularly troublesome since these contractors provide vital services directly to residents of Los Angeles County.”

 

The Board directed the County’s Chief Executive Officer, Auditor-Controller, County Counsel, and the Internal Services Department to develop a work group that includes other key departments with contract services, to identify a mechanism to track poorly performing contractors and a system to take sufficient corrective action and/or restitution steps. 

 

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