NCPP is sponsoring a first-ever offered Cooperative Track for NIGP Forum. With sessions, and panels of experts on the topic, procurement professionals will discover ways to create a cooperative strategy, partner with suppliers and drive savings and efficiencies.
Several of our NCPP Cooperative and Strategic Suppliers will serve as panelists as well as case studies to be included. NCPP will also be hosting a booth in the virtual Exhibitor hall with cooperative procurement educational resources. If you are attending the virtual conference, please tune in for one or more of the sessions below:
Meeting Your Social Goals and Emergency Needs
Leverage and Save—Partnering with Suppliers
Taking Your Cooperative Strategy to the Next Level
Howdy Neighbor—Collaborating Among Agencies
O Canada!
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COVID-19 has disrupted state legislatures across the country, with non-pandemic related activity either slowed or stopped altogether. Despite these disruptions, the NCPP Legislative Working Group has continued to track several legislative proposals impacting cooperative purchasing this session. Several positive legislative proposals did not become law as sessions expired, recessed, or adjourned. These proposals will most likely be re-introduced when new sessions convene after the new year. NCPP's collective goal as an industry is to protect and advocate for cooperative purchasing as a best practice for public purchasing. Two updates of note for Georgia and Oklahoma:
Georgia Summary
The Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) issued an informational resource to state agencies and universities in October 2019 to assist entities when considering the use of consortia or cooperative purchasing groups as a source of supply. Within that resource, DOAS cited O.C.G.A. Section 50-5-51 and that, to be an authorized source of supply, cooperative purchasing entities must be (1) a private non-profit organization or (2) a governmental entity. “For-profit consortia or cooperative purchasing entities do not meet this requirement and may not be used.” The Georgia General Assembly considered language this spring that would expand the law to include all “cooperative purchasing organizations” as acceptable sources of supply. On Thursday, June 25, the House of Representatives concurred in the Senate language and forwarded the statutory change to the governor’s desk for action. This will allow GA agencies and universities the opportunity to consider ALL available cooperative choices and contracts moving forward.
Oklahoma Summary
On May 20th, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1422 authored by Rep. Wallace and Sen. Thompson which made significant changes to the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act. The bill was directed at making efficiencies in state agency purchasing activities while maintaining oversight by the state purchasing office. Most prominently, the legislation loosens the restrictions related to state agency use of cooperative contracts. Changes include:
Allows emergency acquisitions to be exempt from some requirements of the Central Purchasing Act (which could include cooperative contract use);
Raises the acquisition threshold on agency purchases requiring a competitive bid process; and
Clarifies the authority of the State Purchasing Director to designate certain contracts for state agencies as statewide contracts.
Specifically, to the cooperative contract language, the bill replaces the standard mandating compliance with “all requirements of the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act” and replaced it with “competitive requirements.” This language is positive in that it removes some restrictions that state agencies faced with use of cooperative contracts. The bill only impacts state government agency use, with the exception of the designation statewide contracts, thereby making them available for use by the political subdivisions. The bill becomes law November 20, 2020.
New Resource for Canada
NCPP supports Group Buying/Cooperative Procurement in Canada. This newly developed Best Practices resource can be shared by NCPP Cooperative and Strategic Supplier Partners. Download your own copy here!
Thanks to our NCPP members for supporting best practices in cooperative
procurement and supporting education for public procurement professionals.