A math word problem in Portland
If a city pays a consultant $911,000 to help it streamline procurement, and the consultant's plan reduces the city's costs by only $61,000, how much money does the city save? Ryan Frank of the O digs into the calculations.
| Posted at 5:36 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (7)
The city's auditor's office deserves some credit there.
Posted by Belinda | July 3, 2007 6:11 AM
The trib also picked it up.
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=118341373025333000
Posted by swimmer | July 3, 2007 7:21 AM
You have short memories, Sue Klobertanz is now head of CoP Dept of Revenue instead of Silver Oak. I assume this means the City Auditor will look closer at her activities now - HAHA.
We can expect more of this puffery/ledgerdemain from the revenue department now. I told you we should have extinguished her torch first.
Posted by Steve | July 3, 2007 7:31 AM
Well color me shocked!
,,,,not so much.
This is classic. And even though tht program is coomplete flop those running it claim there is more savings,,,they just can't document it.
The worst part of the story is that the agreement stated city was to do some validating of savings before paying the consultants. This requirement was ignored.
Compare this to the City club audit of the PDC that showed PDC staff using prior estimates and projections in place of actual spent money.
It's ALL incredibly SLOPPY without any accountability.
Imagine the many millions involved for many years and compare it to the scrutiny and outrage over a few hundred thousand lost in the voter owned election scams.
When will that level of scrutiny be turned on the bigger problems.
Posted by Don Ameche | July 3, 2007 7:49 AM
step 1: hire consultants.
step 2: mess things up.
step 3: hire auditor to find out how bad you messed up.
step 4: set up a committee to study the problem and vow to never mess up again.
step 5: repeat.
Posted by ecohuman.com | July 3, 2007 9:35 AM
I have yet to see a consultant that is on the square. Usually they are so far off base that the government is better off using in house estimates.
Along with this is that familiar term " Over-runs"...another way to cook the books. When are bids going to be held to the bid and not upped to make more money...bait and switch or lo-ball as car dealers call it. Say anything with numbers and the city council's eyes get hazy. Strange when big developers like Hoffman construction take bids they come in on schedule and on the bid mark. Of course when they are doing government wwork always behind and have over-runs.
Posted by KISS | July 3, 2007 1:30 PM
Sue Klobertanz - One more thing, I think she started out as Director of Purchasing for CoP. So at least we know how she got that job.
Posted by Steve | July 3, 2007 2:54 PM