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Q&A
Chair Buery and Michelle Jackson discuss specifics on MOCS authority and contract registration time frames
0:46:16
·
3 min
Chair Richard R. Buery Jr. seeks clarification from Michelle Jackson (HSC) on her recommendations regarding MOCS authority and contract time frames. Jackson suggests charter language for MOCS could mirror existing language for OMB, granting authority over standardizing invoicing and payment. For time frames, she recommends the charter direct the PPB to establish data-driven timelines (potentially 2-3 months from award to registration) rather than setting fixed days in the charter itself, with the key principle being that contracts must be registered before services begin.
- HSC suggests modeling MOCS's charter authority on OMB's existing mandate regarding financial processes.
- HSC proposes the charter require the PPB to set mandatory time frames, informed by data, rather than prescribing specific durations (like 30 or 60 days) in the charter.
- A core principle advocated is prohibiting agencies from asking providers to start work before contract registration.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:46:16
Okay.
0:46:16
I have a couple of quick questions.
0:46:20
Based on something that you said, Michelle, that we'd love to hear from all of you.
0:46:24
You talked about, one, giving bots more authority over payment invoicing.
0:46:30
And I'm curious whether you have specific authority that you would recommend or or you make me a general recommendation about giving them more discretionary authority.
0:46:40
And, similarly, when you talk about time frames so that we could give the the more and more authority to establish time frame.
0:46:48
But, again, are there particular time frame that you'd recommend in cutting in the charter, or are you more asking for giving the the board more authority to establish time frames?
0:46:58
I know it's on the screen.
Michelle Jackson
0:46:59
Yeah.
0:47:00
I think I'll tackle that second one first.
0:47:02
The kind of longer answer is I mean, I wish we could just say thirty days like the controller, but, realistically, there's, you know, DOI.
0:47:09
Like, the agencies don't just have the same, you know, process as the controller who gets a complete package.
0:47:14
So I think it shouldn't just be giving more authority to the PPP to establish time frames.
0:47:18
It should be directing them to establish time frames, and that can be done in partnership with the city data that's already been collected.
0:47:26
And so, you know, for me, I think it should be two to three months from the moment the award is announced given what we've seen.
0:47:33
But I would definitely you know, I'm not the expert.
0:47:36
I have not worked with the mayor's office of contract services.
0:47:38
I have not executed a contract.
0:47:40
But, you know, a lot of the issues that the city can be done concurrently, like, DUI could be looking at something while a budget is being generated.
0:47:46
So it's not like the controller's office where they have to wait and then do things.
0:47:50
So they don't need as much time.
0:47:51
You know, every part of the process doesn't need their only own clock.
0:47:55
And so I think the PPP should be charged with actually establishing those time frames.
0:47:59
And, you know, from the moment the award is announced, so a nonprofit finds out that they got the award to registration, what those time frames should be.
0:48:06
But I don't think it should be like, I don't have a hard thirty days, sixty days.
0:48:10
I think at the end, it should be, and we I asked about this in my testimony that the city should not as to Fred's point of how he's kind of working with the city now, but we should say that a city's agency should not ask any provider to start services on a contract until it's registered.
0:48:26
And that would be kind of what's at the end of the clock because what we find is a contract is late if you're if you announce and we see this all the time.
0:48:36
Most recently, the Department for the Aging, we saw contracts that were coming out the awards were coming out a month before the you found out you're you won the contract, like, a month before the service needed to start.
0:48:47
There's no way you're getting
Louisa Chafee
0:48:48
a contract registered in place.
Michelle Jackson
0:48:50
And so that would help, you know, having established time frames and saying, you know, from from the moment of award to contract registration, this is what needs to happen, and this is the time frame would really help.
0:48:59
So that's my first answer.
0:49:01
And then I've already forgotten the second your first question.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:49:04
It's a similar question about.
0:49:06
Yes.
Michelle Jackson
0:49:07
So we would be happy to work.
0:49:08
There's OMB that's very similar language already in the charter that we think you could lift and move, but we'd be happy to work, you know, on more specifics.
0:49:15
But we do think it should be mox has has more authority in the charter and the IBO we the second IBO's testimony, And you can actually really live simple language from how OMB is structured to say that they have authority for all invoicing and payment when it comes to standardization process.
0:49:34
So pretty simple language that already exists in the charter just as it relates to OMB.