Local governments should adopt guidelines to ensure integrity of the procurement process. Most communities already have these types of guidelines in place. Examples of common government procurement guidelines include:

• No contact between proposers and decision-makers/elected officials once Request for Proposals is issued until contract is awarded,
• No conflicts of interest for proposers, staff, consultants and reviewers,
• No contributions to elected officials or their designated charities one year before or after procurement, and
• No price-fixing among proposers.

Case study: Napa