Workshop Description:
This workshop covers a basic overview of the entire public procurement process (the Procurement Cycle), including founding principles, best practices, solicitation methods, and more. The training includes lectures, discussions, and group exercises.

Who Should Attend:

• Purchasers new to the government procurement process who need an overview of the fundamental functions of government procurement.
• Auditors or Finance Directors who either audit or supervise the procurement function.
• Anyone who wants to understand the purchasing process and how it impacts their operations.

Course/Workshop topics:

• Discussion of ethics and standards of conduct
• Organization of the procurement function
• Procurement authority
• Public Information Act
• Cooperative purchasing
• The purchasing cycle
• Purchasing methods
• Source selection and solicitation
• Receipt and tabulation
• Evaluation and award
• Receipt of goods and services
• Payment
• Property disposal
• Proprietary/sole source purchases
• Emergency purchases
• Small/minority business programs
• Procurement cards

Benefits of Attendance – participants will:

• Explain the major elements of the Purchasing Cycle
• Locate and use NIGP commodity codes
• Understand the differences between using an IFB, RFP, RFQ, and RFI
• Locate and use cooperative contracts
• Find bidders using various source selection methods
• Justify using proprietary or emergency purchases
• Evaluate bid responses and complete a bid tabulation
• Make award decisions based on evaluation factors
• List the elements of a “3-way match” for payment
• Know the ten pieces of documentation to include in the procurement file