State Central Procurement Officials Rank Priorities for 2016
State Central Procurement Officials from across the nation ranked the  Top Ten Priorities for State Procurement  for 2016. The Top Ten Priorities sets the agenda for thought leadership and programming for the profession.  

For the second year, state CPOs collectively ranked process reform and reengineering  as the number one priority for state procurement in 2016. This includes encouraging streamlined
procurement processes, modernize procurement law, reduce laws and regulations complexity. To learn about the other priorities in state procurement, download the  Top Ten Priorities   here. 

Thank you to all participating states.  For more information, please contact  Elena Moreland. 

 Professional Development Fund Policy Changes 
  New Policy Effective Beginning January 2016
In December 2015, the NASPO Board of Directors approved several changes to the Professional Development Funds.  Please see below for a summary of the changes. If you have any questions about the process or usage of funds, please contact  Courtney McCarty.

Updated Policy:  clear guidelines and greater transparency. 
Increased Funds Available : funds increased by $1,200 for each state. 
  • The Board's intent is to help offset the cost of NASPO membership dues, if they happen to present any hardship. A state may use the additional amount toward NASPO dues or other qualifying training expenses.
  • The total amount of funds available to each state in 2016 is $21,200.
New Point of Contact: send ALL submissions to PDFunds@naspo.org.
  • New central point of contact allows NASPO staff to more efficiently process your requests.
Updated Submission Form:  align with updated policy and improve administration. 
These new guidelines and processes are in effect for 2016.  Please begin using the new form and submitting to PDFunds@naspo.org. 

We look forward to supporting your state's education and training needs this year!

How to Market to State Governments Meeting
March 20-22, 2016 (Atlanta, GA)
T his conference helps build relationships among the supplier community and state governments, 
the largest consumers of goods and services in the country.  The meeting provides a place where partnering, networking and learning come together to develop business relationships to support public procurement. 


Did You Know?

You can check your NASPO Network digest to read about what's happening with NASPO in between our issues of the monthly NASPO Bulletin. Here are some of the conversations of note this month: 
Cronin Web Series presents Delaware's Maximizing Fleet Resources and Streamlining Operations
  Thursday, January 21st (2:00pm - 3:00pm EST)
Presenter: Peter Korolyk, Deputy Director with the State of Delaware Government Support Services Office of Management and Budget

Please join us for the third webinar of this year's Cronin Finalist Webinar Series. Our presenter will be Peter Korolyk from the State of Delaware presenting on their Finalist submission, Maximizing Fleet Resources and Streamlining Operations.

The State of Delaware Fleet Services operates an innovative statewide fleet services program that is modeled after commercial rental car operations. The Fleet Team utilizes GPS tracking and diagnostic reporting to identify maintenance needs. Maintenance services are outsourced to a network of contracted repair facilities. Additionally a Fuel Management Contract allows for vehicle tax exempt fueling at retail pumps. These actions have maximized fleet resources and streamlined operations by not maintaining repair and fueling facilities. The fleet contracts have provided substantial savings to allow for low rates passed on to their agencies.

All Cronin Finalist Webinar Series attendees are eligible to receive a certificate of completion credit. To receive credit, one must be present for the entire duration of the webinar.

To participate in this webinar,  REGISTER   now.

A recording of our most recent Cronin Finalist Webinars have been posted. If you missed out on these great and informative webinar, please feel free to watch them online . 

  2016 Procurement U Course Schedule Now Available
The 2016 Procurement U Course Schedule is now available. You can download the printable 2016 Procurement U Course Schedule here. 
 
Please note that complete course description, syllabus and course resources for each offering will be available during the registration period. Once a web-based course is launched, it is available at any time and will not close except during refreshment cycle. You can access registration and web-based training opportunities as they become available through the Procurement U Online Learning Management System.

  New From Procurement U: State Certification Toolkit
Procurement U has released the State Certification Toolkit, a comprehensive resource for state procurement professionals who are developing a certification program or seeking to build upon their current program.
 

The Toolkit, which is available at no cost, provides NASPO members:

* General guidelines on state certification;
* Questions to consider when evaluating your state certification program;
* Examples from states with existing programs; and
* Ideas and options for state officials who are developing or enhancing certification programs

NASPO recognizes that state procurement officials are in the best position to identify what policies, procedures and practices work best within their own state. Please note: the Toolkit is not meant to be a recommendation of only one best practice, nor is this an assessment of the effectiveness of any state's existing program. The Toolkit is intended to allow state officials to compare and analyze components from several different programs to determine what best meets their state's needs.

If you have any questions, please contact staff at procurementu@naspo.org
 Partner Event: Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council  Summit 
  May 25-26, 2016 in Washington, D.C.

The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council will host its 2016 Summit in Washington, DC, May 24-26, 2016. The Summit will convene hundreds of the leading practitioners and thinkers in the sustainable purchasing movement to share best practices, build valuable relationships, and influence the future of sustainable purchasing.  NASPO members can register using the special discount code: NASPO2016 to save 10 percent on registration costs.  Go here for more details. 

NASPO's mission is to help our members achieve success as public procurement leaders in their states through promotion of best practices, education, professional development, research, and innovative procurement strategies.