PA Gov Corbett ordered an investigation into the the PA Turnpike Commission corrupt contract awards. Seems Denver based Cider, Inc. has been acting badly. The quote below from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review amazes me:

In 2005, Ciber won a state job even though its $3.2 million bid was almost seven times that of the lowest bidder, the grand jury said. Within a year, turnpike officials increased that contract by $58.3 million, which the grand jury called “dramatic and unprecedented.”

One of the guys working at Cider also managed to get his inexperienced daughter paid $100/hour by the Turnpike Commission. Cider was recently tied to a kickback and corruption scheme in New Orleans.

So what’s the take away? As we try to contract more efficiently, getting away from the 100% complete design (generally over-designed and full of errors) and straight competitive bid process, we open more opportunities for corruption.

The key, though, whether in public contracting or your own business life, is to become more open in every way. Look at every process you perform and think about a way to make it more open and above board. Strive to make accountability clear.

Don’t be afraid to show real costs to your customers. Work with folks that are smart enough to understand that you need to make a living as you help them get what they want. You’ll find this business much more enjoyable with more folks working together on your team.