Good morning Chairperson Nadeau and members of the Committee on Public Works and Operations. I am Nancy Hapeman, Chief Procurement officer of the District of Columbia. I appreciate the opportunity to update you on the Office of Contracting and Procurement’s performance for Fiscal Year 2024 and 2025 to date. Our mission is to partner with vendors and District agencies to purchase quality goods and services promptly and cost effectively, ensuring that every procurement action is conducted with fairness and impartiality.
Agency Effectiveness and Client Engagement
In FY24 and FY25 to date, our agency has served as a trusted partner to more than 79 District offices and agencies, managing a diverse acquisition portfolio of goods, services, and construction projects totaling $5.7 billion. In FY24 we advanced our long-term strategic vision by focusing on two overarching objectives: achieving excellence in contracting and procurement and achieving excellence in operational support. Our progress is underpinned by a robust framework of processes and a network of professionals who ensure we operate with efficiency, distinction, and transparency. One way we have increased our operational efficiency is by deploying new dashboards that monitor key performance indicators such as contract value and revenue from the surplus property program. These tools empower agency leadership to make well-informed decisions and continuously enhance our processes.
Fostering strong relationships with our client agencies is the foundation upon which an effective procurement process is built. This year, we have continued the client engagement activities I highlighted in last year’s testimony. These meetings provide valuable insight into agency priorities, allowing us to understand client needs and respond effectively to emerging challenges. I intend to pursue more client agency engagements this year.
Vendor and Community Engagement
Robust engagement with our vendor community is essential to fulfilling our mission. In FY24, we also launched an expanded vendor and client satisfaction survey that features an interactive tool prompting respondents to offer detailed feedback when ratings fall below satisfactory levels. The actionable insights from this survey have been instrumental in identifying areas for process improvement. In FY25, we introduced a refreshed forecasting module on the Contracts and Procurement Transparency Portal. This improvement provides more accurate and accessible information on upcoming procurement opportunities, thereby enabling vendors to plan their bids or proposals more effectively.
OCP has reimagined its DC Buys event in FY25. OCP’s flagship vendor event, now known as OCP Buys, has transformed into a series of focused events organized by the procurement cluster. By filtering vendors by their selected commodity codes, OCP can actively target advertisements to vendors that are most likely to benefit from each OCP Buys event. The new format has enhanced engagement by creating an open-house environment that encourages direct dialogue between vendors, agency staff, and agency partners such as the Department of Small and Local Business Development and the Office of Risk Management. OCP hosted two events in the first quarter: OCP Buys Information Technology and OCP Buys Health and Human Services. Both events received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with post-event surveys indicating positive experiences from attendees and highlighting how the event helped to resolve outstanding vendor questions. OCP also actively partnered and participated in other events such as the Government Procurement Conference, DSLBD’s District Connect, DCHBX’s Power Up DC, and DGS’s small business procurement event. Additionally, OCP hosted 24 virtual vendor workshops that collectively attracted 1,421 attendees, further demonstrating our commitment to expanding access and delivering critical procurement guidance.
Surplus Property and Emergency Response
The Surplus Property Program continues to deliver substantial value for the District. In FY24, the program generated nearly $7.8 million in revenue from the sale of 2,520 lots of surplus property, scrap metal, and other disposal activities. OCP’s proactive approach to surplus property reuse has enabled DC agencies to source essential supplies and equipment from District and federal inventories creating cost savings. The program also benefits our community, allowing 151 qualifying nonprofit organizations access to District and federal surplus property.
Beyond our standard procurement operations, OCP has played an active role in supporting District government operations during critical periods. In support of the 60th presidential inauguration, we provided essential procurement assistance to agencies including the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, the Metropolitan Police Department, DC Fire and EMS, and the District Department of Transportation. Our support extended to activations for the general Election, the certification of the election on January 6, and a multi-day activation for inaugural activities.
Additionally, OCP has provided critical support for other emergency response activations, such as snow emergencies, boil water advisories, the 2024 North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, and the tragic aircraft water rescue and recovery operation on the Potomac. These initiatives underscore our ability to deliver rapid, effective procurement solutions in both routine and emergency situations.
Conclusion
In summary, our performance in FY24 and FY25 to date reflects steady progress in operational excellence, stakeholder engagement, and process transparency. As we continue to refine our processes and broaden our engagement efforts, the Office of Contracting and Procurement remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering fair, transparent, and efficient procurement solutions for all District agencies and the communities we serve.
We are grateful for the leadership of Mayor Bowser, City Administrator Donahue, and Assistant City Administrator Rodriguez, who have been instrumental in supporting us through the fiscal year as we serve the District. We also extend our appreciation to Chairperson Nadeau and the members of the Committee on Public Works and Operations for their support and for providing us with this opportunity to testify.
This concludes my prepared testimony. I welcome any questions you may have.
