Highlights in the May Issue:
 
 View this short video for facts on Procurement University!
Upcoming Events and Webinars 
Conferences
May 17-19, 2015 (Williamsburg, VA)

July 12-14, 2015 (Rapid City, SD)

NASPO Law Institute: 
August 16-18, 2015 (Forth Worth, TX) 

Webinars
Green Purchasing Webinars: 
     EPP Specs for Paper, Toner, 
     Office Supplies 
NASCIO Midyear Conference Panel Features NASPO Presentation on Cloud Procurement
Burns presented on cloud procurement during this standing-room only session. He stated that collaboration and early communication between CIOs and CPOs is key to cloud outcome. 
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) invited NASPO Board Member and Idaho Chief Procurement Officer Bill Burns to present on a panel on cloud technology in late April. The panel, Today's Forecast: Case Study in Cloud Procurement, prominently featured California's Cloud Infrastructure initiative.

Burns, who also serves as chair of the Strategic and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, covered strategies in developing and deploying applications in the cloud and the current trends and opportunities in the market. In addition, he contributed the procurement perspective during a general session.  He presented several findings from NASPO's latest research on cloud procurement (see below article).

Burns also shared a newly released joint publication between NASCIO and NASPO, Capitals in the Clouds: California's Cloud Infrastructure Case Study. The case study includes information and advice from the trenches from Neeraj Chauhan, California's Cloud Infrastructure Project Director, OTech, California Department of Technology; Carlos Ramos, Chief Information Officer, State of California; and Jim Butler, Chief Procurement Officer, State of California.

CalCloud, as it is colloquially known, is an on premise, private cloud service, procured through a competitive solicitation process, hosted by a third party solution partner and managed and housed at OTech (California Department of Technology) data centers. It has received widespread attention in the state community because of its scope, stature, potential value and procurement approach.
JUST RELEASED
Has State Government Moved to the Cloud?
A NASPO Infographic on State Government Cloud Implementation

Check out this quick resource to get informed on existing contracting models, challenges and solutions for successful implementations of cloud solutions and many more.

The infographic is a snapshot of the key data points from the Cloud Service Survey that NASPO conducted in April. Many thanks to all states that participated in the NASPO Cloud Services Survey!

The infographic is available on the NASPO web site.
NASPO Strategic Sourcing Feature in GOVERNING Voices
NASPO Director of Strategic Programs Krista Ferrell was once again featured in Voices of the Governing Institute earlier this month. How Strategic Sourcing Can Save a Bundle explores some common myths regarding strategic sourcing. 

Access the full article here.
ERP, Cloud, and Bid Data - OH MY!
   By: Krista Ferrerll, Director of Strategic Programs
When approached in March by the Eastern Regional Council about the possibility of conducting the optional training day for the Eastern Regional Conference through Procurement U, the Professional Development Committee gladly accepted the challenge and began working with the Eastern Regional Council to develop what would become a 6 hour course in Current Issues in State Procurement.

Focusing on large scale IT procurements including ERP, eProcurement, and Cloud Hosted Systems, the course covered topics such as strategic project planning, acquisition methods and processes, award, and contract management. "We wanted to build something that supported the NASPO mission and commitment to education and quality professional development," Sarah Steele Roar, NASPO's Education Coordinator said. "Building on NASPO's model of peer collaboration and information sharing, we worked to structure learning objectives which allowed participants to engage with their peers and learn through open dialogue and activity."

With the help of instructor Adam Manne, MBA, CPPO, VCO and the Chief of Procurement Operations for Prince William County in Virginia, content based on NASPO State and Local Government Procurement: A Practical Guide was outlined which supported these objectives. "Putting the Practical Guide in everyone's hands is excellent, both as a permanent resource and also to demonstrate the level of quality that Procurement U courses provide," said Director of the Maine Division of Purchases and NASPO Board Member Mark Lutte.

Twenty-three procurement professionals from six State Procurement Offices attended the optional day training. One of the most popular segments included "How to Make Toast," an activity designed to illustrate how even the simplest process, like making toast, can be approached differently by each stakeholder and how communication and early engagement in complex procurement is the key to bridging that gap. Discussions on use of big data and cloud procurement strategies were also noted as course take-aways. Manne also covered emerging trends in the use of cyber-security bonds and social media insurance to mitigate new risks related to IT procurement. "Who is responsible when the vendor's employee posts negative comments or project details on social media? These are things that states now have to consider," said Manne. 

Both the Southern Regional Council and Midwestern Regional Council are also working with the Professional Development Committee to deliver similar trainings during the Southern and Midwestern Regional Conferences. At this time, the Western Regional Council has not yet voted on their training day content.

For more information on Procurement U, please contact Krista Ferrell, Director of Strategic Programs at NASPO Headquarters at 859-514-9195 or via email at kferrell@naspo.org.
AEP Award Applications Accepted Until  May 29
The National Procurement Institute (NPI) is now accepting applications for the 20th Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement? Award! This prestigious award is earned by public and non-profit organizations that demonstrate excellence in their procurement function by obtaining a high score based on standardized criteria. The application is available online at www.npiconnection.org/AEP. The 2015 award will be a commemorative crystal obelisk so make sure to add this one-time unique trophy to your collection.

Be sure to check out the AEP Best Practices to help you complete your application and achieve procurement excellence for your agency. The AEP Best Practices are available to National Procurement Institute members. If you are not an NPI member, you can join for as little as $90. Member benefits also include a $200 discount on the AEP application fee and discounted registration for the annual conference and products exposition. Make sure you take advantage of these valuable NPI member benefits! www.npiconnection.org/membership

Lee Johnson and Krista S. Ferrell, CPPO, CPPB represent NASPO on the award selection committee.  The application deadline is May 29, 2015 so don't wait, get started now at www.npiconnection.org/AEP.
NASCA-NASPO Hold Inaugural Roundtable on Shared Services, E-Procurement
In early May, NASPO hosted a joint roundtable with the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) entitled, "Pathways to Value: Shared Services and E-Procurement." The conference proved to be very popular, with registration reaching capacity early. Chief Procurement Officials (CPOs) and Chief Administrators from 22 states and Washington, D.C. attended in pairs to learn from each other and network with peers from other states.

The event, which was facilitated by Leadership for a Networked World at Harvard, kicked off with reflection on historical perspective dating back to the Civil War on leading transformation during technology changes. Attendees then reviewed in-depth case studies on shared services and e-procurement.

Everett Ross shared how Ohio Shared Services was launched, including a showcase on the internal changes that occurred around Ohio Shared Services' new mission, strategy, portfolio, and their new culture of continuous improvement. Attendees also learned about the transformation that occurred in Virginia's popular e-procurement system. This case study walked attendees through how they managed change process, engaged stakeholders and leveraged buying power through their centralized system. The conference closed with an ideation session, where CPOs and Chief Administrators together discussed challenges related to e-procurement and shared services and proposed action steps.
Route Fifty Launches Highlighting State and Local Governments
In collaboration with NASPO as a recognized launch partner, Atlantic Media's Government Executive Media Group has launched Route Fifty, a new digital publication connecting the leaders and ideas advancing state and local governments across America with relevant news, insight and resources.

Serving the leaders, practitioners and stakeholders in city, county and state governments, Route Fifty is a new source for learning about the great ideas, cutting-edge programs and success stories in government operations across the nation. Route Fifty aims to help readers advance the efficiency and performance of government in serving citizens by connecting them to the people and ideas addressing similar challenges in other jurisdictions.

Sign up for Route Fifty's daily newsletter for the must-read stories in state and local news.
New Certification Resources Available from NASPO
As part of Procurement University,  members of the certification work-group recently developed PowerPoints on UPPCC Certification and Recertification. These informational documents can be utilized to inform interested procurement professionals on the process for achieving and maintaining certification.

Please find the PowerPoints and other helpful resources on our  Certification Webapge.

Visit the UPPCC site for more details.          
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council Summit This Month
The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council's Annual Summit provides an opportunity to learn sustainable purchasing best practices, share knowledge, build valuable relationships with like-minded professionals, and influence the development of SPLC's programs for guiding and benchmarking leadership in institutional sustainable purchasing. 2015 Summit Site

Summit Information

     * What: 2015 Summit of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council

     * Theme: Share expertise. Find solutions. Build relationships. Shape the future.

     * When: Tuesday, May 26 - Thursday, May 28, 2015

     * Where: Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Seattle, WA, 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

     * Registration: https://www.sustainablepurchasing.org/summit15/  Use the custom promotional code "NASPO" for 10% discount on non-member tickets to the Summit.

     * Who Attends: Senior leaders in procurement and supply chain, sustainability, marketing and business development, policy, standards and certifications, consulting, and public interest advocacy.
Committee and Work Group News
States Attend Webinar to Learn About EPP Specifications For Paper and Office Supplies
On April 15th, 2015 the Green Purchasing Committee offered another live webinar in the NASPO Green Purchasing Webinar Series: "Simplifying Environmentally Preferable Purchasing: Model EPP Specifications for Paper, Toner Cartridges, and Office Supplies."

The guest speaker for the presentation was Mary Ann Remolador, the Assistant Director of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC). Remolador outlined NERC's recent completion of its Simplifying Environmentally Preferable Purchasing project that involved the development of Model Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Specifications and Purchasing Guidelines for paper, toner cartridges, and office supplies. The presentation included recommendations and lessons learned in regards to each type of commodity.

Matt Oyer (NASPO Policy Analyst) moderated the webinar. We are pleased to report that the webinar had a great turnout (45 callers). The webinar audience included members from 22 jurisdictions: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

A few complimentary remarks received after the webinar are noted below:
* "Thank you for the presentation yesterday, it was very good."
* "It was very informative and she did a great job, along with providing a wealth of information."
* "Very informative!!"

You can visit NASPO's web site and the Green Purchasing Guide page for a recording of the webinar and presentation slides.
Team of Volunteers is Key to Success for NASPO's Practical Guide
The Practical Guide was recently used at the Procurement University training day at the Eastern Regional Conference.
No matter if you are a seasoned public official or new to the procurement field, NASPO's flagship publication, State and Local Government Procurement: A Practical Guide is a tool of first resort for many procurement officials. A Task Force of volunteers worked from January to July 2014 writing, editing and revising the textbook, and the new edition was published in January 2015.

The Task Force (see below for list) included 28 NASPO members, including several who were involved in writing the first edition. In addition, several other NASPO members contributed by reviewing and providing expertise in specific content areas. The Task Force began this undertaking by first identifying areas that needed to be added to the Practical Guide, which included information technology, green purchasing, and emerging issues. Volunteers then divided the existing chapters amongst themselves for editing and review.

Dianne Lancaster, CPO for the State of Oregon, served as Task Force Chair for the NASPO Practical Guide update. Lancaster notes that her interest in revising the Practical Guide was inspired by her experience co-facilitating a course at a local community college that required the text as part of the curriculum.

"We had to outline our writing values and set a writing rubric to write in a way that could be understood by various readers," said Lancaster. She found this experience was helpful in the undertaking of producing the second edition of the Practical Guide.

"Choosing the cover and seeing the finished project was the most exciting part," said Lancaster. Her hope is that the Practical Guide will be used as a desk reference and as a solid, collegiate level text.
NASPO wants to give your state the recognition is deserves for a job well done. What better way to spread the news of the new and innovative programs your state has put into place then to share it with your peers. Nominations to the 2015 Cronin Awards are now being accepted, and we want to encourage every state to share what they have been working on to streamline processes and improve best practices. Submit your nomination before July 28th. We look forward to hearing about the creative solutions that your state has recently implemented.

Every state/territory is permitted to submit up to three entries per year. The top five finalists will be invited to participate in the NASPO Annual Conference, September 27-30 in Norfolk, VA to present on their submission at the Cronin Luncheon.

Deadline to submit a nomination is Tuesday, July 28th. Submission guidelines and nomination form can be found online at www.naspo.org/2015Cronin. Please direct questions regarding the NASPO Cronin Awards to Kristy Howard at khoward@naspo.org.
Member News
Bacu Named 2014 Delaware OMB Employee of the Year 
Michael Bacu was named Delaware OMB's 2014 Employee of the Year. Bacu is a State Contract Procurement Supervisor in the Contracting Unit within Government Support Services.

He was nominated for his work procuring computers for numerous school districts and charter schools. This program generated over $800,000 in savings. Michael will now be in the running for the Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service which is a statewide award.

Congratulations Michael!
Get to Know the NASPO Staff
Sarah Steele Roar, NASPO Education Coordinator  
Name:  Sarah Steele Roar

Title:  NASPO Education Coordinator

Year started at NASPO: Late October 2014

Brief description of current role: I assist with the educational component of Procurement University, including curriculum development, instructional design, and trainer qualifications. 

Education:  MS in Mental Health Counseling from Lee University

                   MEd in Human Sexuality Education from Widener University

                   ABD - Doctor of Education in Higher Education from Widener University (Doctoral Candidate)


Fun Facts:  My immediate family is spread across five states including Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii. 

Most memorable NASPO event so far:  The Western Region conference, which I attended right after bring hired. Some of the members gave me an educational tour of San Francisco that was quite memorable.
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.