Late payments expose California public agencies to interest penalties, higher bids, vendor attrition, audit findings, and public scrutiny. This first installment outlines why timely payment is a compliance obligation and provides a practical 20–30 day processing framework, common pitfalls to avoid, and simple tracking steps to protect budgets and credibility

A simple 7-bucket category system can turn thousands of school capital transactions into clear, board-ready reports—automatically. Instead of wrestling with spreadsheets, districts can map object codes once, assign clear ownership, and create instant rollups for budgets, contingency, and project status. When categories are structured correctly, audits move faster, dashboards click into place, and reporting becomes effortless

Nine Common Invoice Processing Mistakes California Public Agencies Make Invoice errors are frequent audit findings for cities, schools, and special districts, risking disallowed costs. Discover key mistakes like paying over PO limits, skipping three-way matches, and missing retention deadlines—along with clear, actionable steps to prevent them and safeguard public funds.

Establishing and using prequalification ratings is a best practice that protects public funds and reduces construction risk. By evaluating contractor financial strength, safety, and performance before bids are submitted, public agencies create a fair, transparent, and competitive bidding process that leads to more reliable project outcomes.

If you can’t explain your project in one clear sentence, budget chaos is already underway. Loose definitions lead to split invoices, double counting, and painful audit explanations. This post introduces the “One Promise” rule—a simple way to define projects so costs land cleanly, decisions move faster, and audits feel routine instead of adversarial.

Mandatory job walks are often treated as a safe default in California public construction, but they frequently create the opposite result. Forcing attendance can exclude qualified bidders, reduce competition, and create a false sense of legal protection. Verbal statements at a job walk do not replace written addenda, and attendance does not guarantee understanding. Each project deserves a deliberate, case-by-case decision.

Best Practices for Creating Contractor-Friendly Amendments That Reduce Bid Errors and Streamline Public Construction Projects By Joanne Branch A structured approach to writing addenda can eliminate confusion, minimize bid irregularities, and help contractors submit accurate proposals, saving your agency time and reducing protest risk. Writing Clear, Tight, and Easy-to-Use Addenda for Public Bids When an active public bid requires updates, the addendum you issue must be clear,

Part 1 of 15 Project Accounting Codes for School Construction: A Simple System That Actually Works. Stop drowning in spreadsheets—here's the three-part coding structure that gives you instant budget clarity and audit-ready reports. The cleanest path from bond dollars to finished buildings uses just three core codes—everything else is noise that slows you down and confuses your team.

The Three-Tier Approach to Contractor Prequalification: the simplest way to cut risk before bid day. Prequalification works best when structured into three tiers, administrative baseline, performance-based screening, and project-specific fit, so agencies cut risk, improve quality, and match the right contractors to each project.