Bid Protests and Audits Form an Indispensible and Effective Partnership

This article appeared in the OGC Adviser, Vol. 2, No. 4, July 1978. The important work of the Comptroller General in federal procurement matters frequently requires a cooperative team effort. The Comptroller General is often asked to render bid protest decisions involving matters subject to ongoing audits. Issues raised by the protest may be helpful in focusing audit attention on problem areas. At the same time, information provided by the auditors is usually invaluable in resolving the bid protest. Sometimes a controversial bid protest may initiate an audit to be completed after the bid protest decision is rendered. With increasing regularity, the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) asks for audit assistance in order to aid the consideration of the bid protests. Several examples of bid protests that have triggered such audits are presented, demonstrating the mutual reliance and interrelationships of OGC and the audit divisions.