Tag: public procurement

NASPO Events & Education

NASPO Welcomes New Academic Partner

The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and George Washington Law (GW Law) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster and promote public procurement education together.  Dr. Karen Thornton, the Director of the GW Government Program Law Program, and Dianne Lancaster, NASPO Chief Learning Officer, are the representatives for each organization. Read more “NASPO Welcomes New Academic Partner” →

Technology & IT Procurement

The State of Cybersecurity: 3 Bold Plays for Change

In March 2018, the city of Atlanta suffered a ransomware attack that compromised the data of their employees and anyone who conducted business with the state and ended costing $2.6 million in emergency contract efforts[1]. When Louisiana was attacked in November of 2019, 10% of the state’s servers were infiltrated and some 1,500 computers were damaged.  These examples demonstrate cybersecurity should be a top priority for procurement officers to protect the sensitive information of both vendors and staff. Understanding the issues and goals of your state Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) can pave the road toward a more productive working relationship and allow procurement officers to address increasing cybersecurity threats as partners.

Read more “The State of Cybersecurity: 3 Bold Plays for Change” →

Ethics & Value of Competition

Create Your Road Map to Transparency!

Imagine having to justify every decision you’ve ever made, to anyone who asks.  Transparency is the cornerstone of the entire procurement process and is necessary throughout the contracting lifecycle, from the definition of need to the expiration of the contract. Recently, the OECD, an international nonprofit, created a “Transparency Checklist” to assist public procurement professionals in reaching their transparency goals. Procurement Pulse breaks down the three founding principles listed in the checklist and highlights what to include in your office’s transparency checklist.

Read more “Create Your Road Map to Transparency!” →

NASPO Events & Education

Academic Partner Perspective: Kelly Lynch

Written by Olivia Hook Frey
NASPO’s academic partnerships are paramount to our higher education initiatives. Without these impressive partners at colleges and universities across the country, none of this programming would be possible. When we started this endeavor in 2016, we set out to build relationships with top-tier Supply Chain Management Programs and faculty, because we believe Supply Chain Management is the degree program that most closely aligns with the work our members do in state procurement. Since then, we have had some majors wins with each partner. Over the past three years, our goals with each academic partner have morphed. We have discovered the different specialties of each partner.

Read more “Academic Partner Perspective: Kelly Lynch” →

Market Research

Another Resource for your Procurement Toolbox: PTAC

 Like most problem-solvers, procurement professionals have a metaphorical toolbox that they reach into from time to time to assist in acquiring best value. In this article, we discuss one of the tools in the public procurement toolbox, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). In case you haven’t utilized this tool before, let’s get you familiar with it! A guiding principle of public procurement is the maximization of competition. PTACs help to increase bid participation by working one-on-one with small businesses and assisting them in competing for government contracts.

Read more “Another Resource for your Procurement Toolbox: PTAC” →

NASPO Events & Education

A Day in the Life: Rosalyn Ingram

This is an updated post based on highlights from the interview with Rosalyn Ingram, Director of State Purchasing & Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) for the State of Florida Division of Purchasing. Read this blog to learn more about Roz’s role as the Florida CPO and get to know her fun and people-loving personality.
Roz has a B.S. degree in Business from Florida State University. She is also a Project Management Professional, Certified Public Manager, and Florida Certified Negotiator. She has 30 years of state government experience and has worked in several agencies to gain her diverse knowledge of state government and best practices in procurement. The Division of State Purchasing, led by Roz, creates state term contracts that leverages all state agency spend, as well as spend created through cities and counties that are able to use them. Her division also provides training for Certified Contract Managers, Certified Negotiators, and Project Management Professionals. They are also charged with rule promulgation and policy initiatives. She also manages the MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) eProcurement system.

Read more “A Day in the Life: Rosalyn Ingram” →

Professional Development

Major Procurement Trends: Helping Your Office Move Forward

In the past twelve months, what significant challenges has your procurement office faced? Have you had internal conversation about the struggle to replace a retirement-age workforce? Did you have to adjust in order to overcome a supply chain disruption caused by a major weather event? Chances are that you have- and you are not alone. For every qualified individual, there are six vacancies in the procurement sector, and we all have watched the news as natural and man-made disasters like devastating wildfires have affected millions of people. So, what should you and your fellow procurement officials do in the face of all of this uncertainty?

Read more “Major Procurement Trends: Helping Your Office Move Forward” →

NASPO Events & Education

Climbing the Summit: Government Performance and Innovation Recap

A couple of weeks ago (June 4th – 6th), I attended the Summit on Government Performance and Innovation in Minneapolis, which is organized by Governing and has been held annually since 2015. This is the second time I represented NASPO at this event to learn about the innovative initiatives of cities and governments around the country and bring that information back to NASPO members. Demographics, inclusive procurement and challenging the status quo were just some of the topics discussed. These innovative topics helped to set the tone for modernizing the way government does business. This conference highlighted the creative solutions governments are using to address a changing world. Read more “Climbing the Summit: Government Performance and Innovation Recap” →
NASPO Events & Education

Which States Have Preference Policies? NASPO Has the Repository!

Giving preference to local bidders is a common means of making government contracts more accessible to resident small business enterprises and supporting local economies.
There are different types of preferences and the policy application around the country varies greatly; this adds complexity for both governmental and business entities trying to understand the preference conditions in each state. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a nationwide resource, a central place with state-by-state information on local preferences and reciprocity laws? Look no further! NASPO just launched the State Preference Repository, a comprehensive database, including preference conditions and law citations for all 50 states and the District of Columbia to help agencies determine the lowest responsible bidder.

Read more “Which States Have Preference Policies? NASPO Has the Repository!” →

Data Analytics

Keeping up with the Economy: Local Economic Multipliers

Approximately 30 states have adopted preferences for small or local businesses and 37 states also have “reciprocal laws” which add a percentage increase to out of state bidder’s proposal when compared to in-state bids. These local preferences can have a significant impact to a state’s economy. Purchasing in-state will not only increase a state’s revenue through sales and other taxes, but also have a broader impact on the local economy through the multiplier effect. Read more “Keeping up with the Economy: Local Economic Multipliers” →