DOI's broad mandate includes protecting the integrity of the City's purchase or contract of billions-of-dollars in goods, services and construction projects each year. To accomplish this task, DOI strives to prevent, detect and investigate procurement corruption, as well as researches the business integrity of prospective vendors for the City's contracting personnel, who award contracts to those deemed to have responsible business practices. At any time, DOI may have several ongoing procurement-related corruption investigations involving bribery, bid-rigging, prevailing wage fraud, billing fraud and tax evasion.

Protecting the integrity of the City's procurement process is important to safeguarding the City.