DGS Can't Track Its Own Work Orders. $35 Million in Question.

What DGS Is Supposed to Do

The Department of General Services (DGS) is responsible for maintaining and managing the District's portfolio of government-owned buildings. This includes schools, administrative offices, recreation centers, and other public facilities. When something breaks — a boiler, a roof, an HVAC system — DGS manages the work order process to get it fixed, typically through private contractors.

With a facilities portfolio this large and a budget of $245 million, the work order management system is critical. It should track what work was requested, what was authorized, what was completed, and what was paid for.

What the Audit Found

The auditor found that DGS's work order management was failing at multiple points. Work orders were incomplete or missing documentation. In some cases, work was performed without proper authorization — meaning contractors did work and billed DGS without anyone formally approving the scope or cost in advance.

Oversight of completed work was also deficient. DGS could not consistently demonstrate that work billed by contractors had actually been performed, or that the work performed matched what was specified in the original work order.

The Dollar Impact

The audit identified $35 million in work order spending affected by these control failures. The question is not whether all $35 million was wasted — some of the work was presumably necessary and properly performed. The question is that DGS cannot demonstrate which work was properly authorized, completed as specified, and billed correctly. When you can't answer those questions, you can't know whether you're overpaying, paying for work that wasn't done, or paying for work that shouldn't have been authorized in the first place.

Auditor Recommendations

Timeline