Contracting and procurement is the backbone of nearly every service provided to residents, from healthcare services to food programs and cybersecurity.
But the District’s system needs help. Vendors and agencies alike often face unanswered questions about contract status and are provided limited or nonexistent communication channels to report and resolve issues. Agencies are required to comply with unnecessarily burdensome requirements for small purchases. The Office of Contracting and Procurement is often unable to address underperforming contractors who fail to deliver city services in a timely manner or do not meet quality standards.
My bill, the Contracting and Procurement Reform Amendment Act of 2026, which was given initial approval by Council this week, increases transparency and streamlines the process by:
- Reducing barriers for businesses who want to work with the District.
- Creating greater transparency for the public and Council to improve public trust and oversight.
- Promoting communication between District agencies and the Office of Contracting and Procurement to increase efficiency and shorten timelines.
- Creating new avenues for the Council to measure and enforce contractor effectiveness and performance.
- Clarifying inconsistencies in the code and updating outdated language to bring the Procurement Practices Reform Act in line with current practices.
Fixing this system is essential to improving government performance and ensuring the District can meet the needs of its residents. The reforms in this legislation reflect four years of oversight by the Committee of Public Works & Operations and bring together ideas from across D.C. government about how to make procurement work more smoothly for vendors and agencies, and to get better results for residents.