The County is releasing the results of an independent assessment of its contracting management practices, detailing strengths and recommended improvements to ensure accountability.
The County announced in March it would formally review its internal contracting processes to improve oversight, following allegations involving a County contractor, the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego (HRCSD). The Coalition had contracts for an anti-overdose medication and drug checking. Its former Chief Operating Officer has been accused by the District Attorney of embezzling funds from HRCSD.
The consultant conducted a thorough assessment, reviewing dozens of policies and procedures, as well as conducting interviews and walkthroughs with County staff from various departments. The consultant’s report found the County has sound procurement practices, but once contracts are awarded, the County has an opportunity to create more cohesive monitoring practices across departments.
“We value the public’s trust in the work we do to support our communities,” said Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton. “Our team is committed to high procurement and contracting standards, and this report will help us strengthen oversight and make improvements where needed.”
Overall, the County has a sound procurement foundation for acquiring goods and services to support programs and services provided to our communities.
This includes defined selection procedures, approval authorities and training infrastructure.
The County has an opportunity to develop more centralized efforts across departments to better align monitoring, documentation and reporting to manage accountability and respond to emerging issues.
The report noted that the County’s Health and Human Services Agency already has established procurement and contract monitoring processes in place, and it includes recommendations to make enhancements that standardize policies, guidance and procedures across other parts of the County organization.
Among the recommendations:
An enterprise-level contractor monitoring framework to set consistent expectations for risk assessment, documentation, oversight and communication
Formal organizational responsibility for contract monitoring governance
Standardized documentation and records management
Strengthened training and performance evaluation
Standardized site visit methodology as part of contract monitoring
The County is evaluating the recommendations to determine the next steps needed to strengthen contracting practices and protect public resources.
Employees, contractors and the public can report concerns about waste, fraud or abuse. Reports can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the County’s Ethics Hotline at 866-549-0004 as well as online, and to the District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit.
The County continues to cooperate with the District Attorney’s investigation into fraud and embezzlement allegations related to the Harm Reduction Coalition and also provided nearly $150,000 to several local organizations that were subcontractors of the Coalition and had not received anticipated payments from the contractor.
Despite the termination of HRCSD contracts in 2025, naloxone distribution efforts have continued without interruption to ensure people have access to life-saving resources.
Reprinted courtesy San Diego County Office of Communications.
