Know the Code – Financial Oversight: The Code and Best Practices

We need your buy-in.  

Working at the County, you may feel like buying is someone else’s job. And yes, there is a department for that. But chances are your department has paid for something you needed with a p-card.

Did the item come at a fair price from a reputable vendor?

Fair and reputable are both key words. No matter how your department is using County funding, it must be used responsibly.  

You must pay careful attention to details when working on any financial agreements with outside parties, and that even includes grants.

Employees must make sure the County is not overcharged, there is no real or perceived conflict of interest or vendor misconduct that could hurt the County’s reputation.

These actions require due diligence.  

It includes:

• A thorough vendor vetting process

• Reviewing operational and legal risks

• Regular Monitoring

We need vendors, suppliers and contractors to help the County provide quality programs and services.  But we also need to evaluate risks and threats to the County before we put our money down.

If you have questions, touch base with your department’s point of contact at Purchasing and Contracting, the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Labor Standards at oec@sdcounty.ca.gov or Agency Business Assurance & Compliance office (for HHSA staff) or call the Ethics Hotline at 866-549-0004.