The City and County of San Francisco allocates more than one-third of its $16 billion annual budget to procuring goods and services for San Franciscans. In doing so it must balance efficiency and effectiveness with responsible stewardship of and accountability for public resources. Achieving that balance has become increasingly challenging because of a complicated maze of legislation and policies that govern the procurement system. Lengthy contract processing times, which can range from 8.5 months to 1.5 years, burden city staff and discourage potential vendors, particularly small businesses and nonprofits.
SPUR offers nine recommendations to improve San Francisco’s procurement system. Implementing these recommendations will require a long-term vision, clear leadership and the political will to make tough decisions but would result in greater community benefits across policy areas.