(a) The Chief Procurement Officer shall be the chief procurement official of the District.

(b) The CPO shall have the following authority and responsibility:

(1) To serve as the central procurement and contracting officer for the District;

(2) To identify gaps, omissions, or inconsistencies in procurement laws, rules, and policies, or in laws, rules and policies affecting procurement-related activities, and to recommend changes to laws, rules, and procedures;

(3) To provide overall leadership in the implementation of procurement rules, coordinate all procurement activities of the District government in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, and develop a system of unified and simplified procurement procedures and forms.

(4) To prepare and issue standard specifications for goods, services, and construction required by the District government;

(5) To establish a standardization program for goods and services when it is determined to be in the best interests of the District;

(6) To review, monitor, and audit the procurement activities of the District;

(7) To prepare, establish, and implement a periodic review process for the evaluation of contractors who provide goods or services to the District;

(8) To identify and assess trends and developments in the field of government contracting, including identifying best practices and innovation opportunities for the District;

(9) To operate and maintain an electronic procurement system;

(10) To sell, trade, or otherwise dispose of surplus goods belonging to the District government;

(11) To establish procedures for the inspection, testing, and acceptance of goods, services, and construction;

(12) To develop guidelines for the recruitment, training, career development, and performance evaluation of all procurement personnel;

(13) To staff OCP with procurement professionals, including attorneys, dedicated to the formation and administration of contracts on behalf of the entities covered by this chapter;

(14) To create and maintain a transparent Internet site, accessible to the public, providing information on solicitations, contracts, and related laws, rules, and policies;

(15) To promote to the purchase of environmentally preferable products and services; and

(16) To establish certification requirements for contracting personnel.

(Apr. 8, 2011, D.C. Law 18-371, § 204, 58 DCR 1185.)