Press Releases

Mayor’s Office of Communications
55 Trinity Avenue, Suite 2500 • Atlanta, Georgia 30303

City Attorney Labels OIG Investigation “Wholly Unprofessional”

OIG Wrong Due to Flawed & Unprofessional Investigation

Analysis is Faulty and Lacks Proper Foundation, Resulting in Erroneous Conclusions

ATLANTA—The Dickens Administration issued the following statement in response to the Inspector General’s recent flawed and unprofessional investigation.

“The report by the Office of Inspector General regarding a recent City procurement is misguided and baseless, as outlined in the attached letter by the City Attorney. Her detailed letter includes an analysis of observations and concerns about the OIG’s report, which are summarized below.

Specifically, the claims in the report are derived from a fundamental misunderstanding of the city’s procurement process; a lack of clarity about the roles and responsibilities of City employees within the rules that govern procurement; and the use of wholly unprofessional and inappropriate methods of conducting an investigation.

The City of Atlanta’s procurement processes are guided by stringent policies to ensure accountability, compliance, and equitable opportunities that lead to high quality products and services at a reasonable cost for the city and fair access for all vendors and business owners. Any suggestions of intentional impropriety or mismanagement undermine the integrity and hard work of City employees dedicated to serving the public.

The City of Atlanta takes its commitment to transparency, fairness, and adherence to proper procurement procedures seriously. One of the pillars of Mayor Andre Dickens’ ‘Moving Atlanta Forward’ plan is ‘Effective and Ethical Government’— and it is a directive for every single city department.”

Key Facts from the City Attorney’s Response Letter to the OIG

1. The Conclusion is Wrong Due to a Flawed and Unprofessional Investigation / Misunderstanding of Procurement Processes
   
   The OIG conflates the purpose of a Request for Information (RFI) with a Request for Proposal (RFP). An RFI is a non-binding procurement tool used to gather information and insights from vendors and stakeholders to close information gaps before issuing an RFP. Contrary to the OIG’s implications, an RFI does not result in a contract or vendor award. Additionally, an RFI does not have a “blackout” period. The OIG’s report conflates and mischaracterizes the two processes, leading to a series of false assumptions and baseless claims.
   
   
2. An erroneous conclusion was drawn about the nature and purpose of Accenture’s participation with the Mayor’s Team.
   
   The OIG failed to acknowledge that reviewing internal solutions with vendors like Microsoft, Accenture, and their partners before initiating a procurement is a best practice. These engagements provide essential insights into compatibility, security, and cost-saving opportunities.
   
   
3. Unfounded Allegations of Unfair Procurement
   
   The OIG’s claims that communications with Accenture and Microsoft led to an unfair solicitation are unsubstantiated. The CRM solicitation received 12 responses and was awarded without protest, demonstrating a robust and fair procurement process.
   
   
4. Lack of Evidence for Procurement Violations
   
   The OIG fails to demonstrate a violation of any procurement policies or the terms of the solicitation and the recommendation to cancel the contract, which was validly procured without any violations of any procurement code provisions, is unwarranted and unjustified. The allegations in the report fail to demonstrate any violations of City code provisions.
   
   
5.   Accenture’s Pro Bono Participation Misrepresented
   
   The OIG mischaracterized Accenture’s role within the Mayor's Transition Team, ignoring the fact that Accenture’s pro bono support was specific to the S.A.F.E. Streets subcommittee. This work concluded months before any procurement processes began. Additionally, the OIG’s iPro report, which was issued over two years ago, in no way advised the Administration that there were any concerns with our responses that would preclude the City from proceeding with the active procurement.

There is no place for corruption, fraud, waste or abuse in the government of the City of Atlanta. The Dickens Administration wholeheartedly supports using the resources of the OIG to ensure ethical conduct and action across the city. However, a thorough understanding of the City charter and code and the proper methodology for conducting effective investigations is essential for the OIG.

Without that fundamental baseline, the OIG faces becoming an agency that creates mistrust and seeds fear rather than living up to its founding vision of being a protective shield of fairness and accountability in government.

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