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Washington D.C. transit authority settles $4.24 million federal lawsuit

• 22nd August 2014

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority used federal funds on a no-bid contract and had to pay a multimillion settlement.

NASPO releases 2014 Survey of State Procurement Practices

• 25th July 2014

The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) has just released its 2014 Survey of State Procurement Practices.

Read this first

• 30th June 2014

How can you determine whether or not you are applying best practices to achieve high performance in contracting? Forum Session participants will expand their knowledge of key skills and performance measures in order to grow their procurement practice as individuals and at the organizational level. The sources of revelation include the excellent, enduring content of two papers published in the Journal of Public Procurement.

Maintaining an ethical procurement process

• 30th June 2014

Many people think maintaining ethical procurement is simply a matter of doing the right thing. There is an assumption that when someone does something wrong, it was intentional. Unfortunately, more mistakes are made out of poor policies and procedures or ignorance of the law than out of willful disregard for the law. Education is the key to good, ethical job performance.

Critical thinking: following in the footsteps of our Founding Fathers

• 30th June 2014

As a longtime student of history, I am particularly excited to attend this year’s Forum in Philadelphia, where so many events connected with our country’s founding took place. Strolling the streets and avenues where Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin and others trod so many years ago, visiting Independence Hall and attending the host committee event at the National Constitution Center are all great opportunities for the historian in me.

Who owns energy?

• 30th June 2014

It has been more than 20 years since the first state in the United States deregulated its energy market, thereby allowing consumers to buy their energy from the competitive supplier of their choice instead of just from their local utility company. Today, electricity is deregulated in more than 15 states, and almost all states have natural gas deregulation. While deregulation has created opportunities for public agencies, it has also created conflicts between those who procure energy and those who manage it.

Purpose-based procurement

• 30th June 2014

As professionals involved in public procurement, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day “busy-ness” that dominates our work. It’s important, and arguably very healthy, to pause from time to time to look at the bigger picture. What is it that we are really striving to accomplish through these incredible efforts of ours? How can our efforts in purchasing and contracting drive our organizations forward to accomplish their true mission and purpose?

Decision by committee

• 30th June 2014

With more and more public agencies using requests for proposal (RFPs) to buy goods and services, it is important for procurement professionals to assume their proper role.

Of course, the RFP process allows an organization to consider factors other than cost in the selection process, including past performance, relevant experience and project approach. This is different than a conventional bid process that looks solely at the lowest price.

So now that we know more RFPs are being used, what role should procurement play?

Enough planning already – time to take action

• 30th June 2014

Strategy is great, but executing the plan reaps the real benefits

Exclusive survey: green procurement trends

• 30th June 2014

Green purchasing is standard many places and growing in others.