by Jolene Toves

Guam - The Office of the Attorney General has been tackling many controversial issues. And you can now add to that list: GovGuam procurement.

It's been in the headlines over and over again: news of a protest in response to a procurement which inevitably leads to a halt of the acquisition of a product or service needed by a government agency. As many times as this has happened it raises the question how can the number protests or appeals be lessened.

In an effort to streamline how government agencies conduct the procurement process the office of the attorney general is educating GovGuam agencies on the complex process of procurement. The AG's Office has already armed 19 GovGuam agencies with the knowhow of acquiring professional services through requests for proposals and are now focusing their second workshop on creating and maintaining a good and complete procurement record. Assistant attorney general John Wiesenberger told KUAM News, "The maintenance of procurement records is very important for the agency both because the law requires it and its quite specific about the records to be kept and also because it provides transparency these records are available to the public pretty much at any time."

He adds maintaining the records is pertinent at times of protest or appeal of procurements, noting, "One of our goals is to make sure that agencies maintain and practice procurement correctly to make sure that we follow the law and avoid unnecessary litigation and protests about the process."

Trying to reduce the number of protests and appeals is a collaborative effort by the government and the Legislature. One in which according to Attorney General Leonardo Rapadas the training will help save time, money and staff. Weisenberger says the procurement training led by the AG's Office is an interim step while a more formal training process is being developed by the Guam Community College.