The Department of General Services, known by its acronym of DGS, is a centralized business management hub where the state government can utilize specialized techniques and skills as necessary to ensure a high level of efficiency and economy. These services include, but are not limited to, planning, acquisition, construction, and maintenance of state buildings and property; purchasing; printing; architectural services; administrative hearings; government claims; and accounting services. The Department of General Services shall develop and enforce policy and procedures as it deems proper to ensure effective operation of all functions performed by the department and to conserve the rights and interests of the state.

DGS has the following divisions and offices, including Procurement Division, Real Estate Services, Facilities Management Division, the State Architect, the Office of Administrative Hearings, the Interagency Support Division, including Fleet and Asset Management, the Office of State Publishing, the Building Standards Commission, and the Commission on Disability Access. In the DGS Administration Division, there is Enterprise Technology Solutions, the Office of Fiscal Affairs, Human Resources, Business Acquisition Services, and Risk and Insurance Management. There is also the DGS’s Director’s Office which includes Sustainability, Audit Services, Legal Services, Planning and Research, Legislative Affairs, and Public Affairs.

DGS is responsible for government claims duties, state property, buildings and grounds, state projects, state burial grounds, state land settlement, state building energy retrofits, Rector dam, integrated pest management, administration of state records, state forms management, the California State Contracts Register, small business procurement and contracting, the Office of the State Printer, the Golden State Financial Marketplace Program, the Office of the State Architect, purchasing of prescription drugs for government agencies, and the Commission on Disability Access. It’s a pretty wide variety of roles and responsibilities that have been placed on the Department of General Services by way of California’s Government Code.

You can find the full transcript of the audio in today’s podcast here.