ArkansasProcurement

Procurement Practices

• Both flexible & accountable• Creative problem solving• Strong leadership & authority• Open & fair competition• Strategic planning• Ethical conduct

How long does it take from posting to award?• The solicitation is on the street with

an appropriate response period based on what is being purchased

• Law requires at least 5 days• Public notice – posted on websites or

advertising in state wide newspaper• IFB – awarded to lowest responsive,

responsible bidder; therefore faster.

Estimated time frames

• IFB – 3 weeks• RFP – 2-3 months• RFQ – 2-3 months• PCS Process adds 4-6 weeks to

process

I need something that is not on contract and costs between $5000 & 25,000 -what is required?• Obtain at least 3 quotes• Complete OSP’s bid form• Contact only firms which sell what is being

procured• If unable to locate 3 sources, form must show

firms contacted

STATE OF ARKANSAS

VERBAL QUOTE FORM

Commodity:

PRICE

VENDOR 1 VENDOR 2 VENDOR 3

$ $ $

SPECIFICATIONS:

VENDOR 1: COMPANY NAME, CONTACT PERSON, TELEPHONE NUMBER & EMAIL ADDRESS

VENDOR 2: COMPANY NAME, CONTACT PERSON, TELEPHONE NUMBER & EMAIL ADDRESS

VENDOR 3: COMPANY NAME, CONTACT PERSON, TELEPHONE NUMBER & EMAIL ADDRESS

Competitive quotes cont…

• Should award to lowest priced, responsible & responsive bidder

• Delivery must be reasonable based on current industry norms

• Complete justification must be given if award is NOT made to low bidder

• Repeated small procurements to circumvent competitive bid limits is a violation

At one time the OSP was working to develop standardized terms & conditions for RFP & IFB solicitations. Agencies would benefit from such standardized language. Would it be possible to make available such information to the agencies, perhaps in a format that indicates best practices to use the following T & C for RFPs, for IFBs, etc.?

• OSP would be happy to share templates upon request.

Has an RFP class been developed at this point? If so, please share. If not, why not?

• This class is currently in development.

The OSP Contracts page is not very user friendly. It would be very helpful if the following: “firstPrevious12345NextLast” was also at the top of the page. As it is now, you read up to the top, then have to scroll all the way back down to go to the next page. At the very least, it would be helpful to have “Next Page” or “Previous Page” as an option.

• This portion of the OSP website is currently under review.

I need something that is not on state contract and costs greater than$25,000, what is required?

• A formal solicitation

When will the State Vehicle Bid come out?

• Contract set to release on October 18

How do vendors get notifications of bids?• OSP system pushes notifications to

registered vendors• OSP’s Facebook page• Website postings

                What is considered an asset?

• Long-life– More than 12 months– Useful life: the time the asset will be used

• Benefits more than one fiscal period– Used over at least two fiscal years

• Not intended for re-sale– Used in our operations– Not part of sales inventory

• Non-monetary– Not cash or financial instrument

Are there any items that have to be bid regardless of the cost?• Printing, any $ amount• Defined – Printer’s ink on paper• Constitutional Amendment 54

Statewide contracts

If there is a state contract for something, do I have to use it?

• Mandatory, yes (for state agencies); otherwise no

• Good benchmark for pricing• May negotiate a lower cost,

particularly if buying large quantities

                How do I initiate a purchase from the WSCA computer or wireless contract?

• Obtain a quote from Vendor – Vendor contact information can be found

on State Contract website– Always reference the contract number in

your request for quote• Create a Purchase Order

– Reference the AASIS outline agreement– Reference the contract number

                How can I add an item to an existing contract?

• Items can not be added to an existing contract unless it was in the original solicitation.

• If the original solicitation allowed for adding items, the contract would need to be amended to add the items.

Can I purchase something from the contract vendor if it is not on the contract?

• Yes, but procurement thresholds apply

• Remember to add new & additional items on the next contract solicitation.

Mandatory? I can get it cheaper somewhere else.

• Compare cheaper to best value• Cost of employee’s time, travel

expenses, delivery costs, processing costs

What is exempt from Procurement Law?

A listing is found in the Procurement law under §19-11-203. Some examples include:•Advertising in newspapers and on television•Medical fees and physician fees•Foster care maintenance services•Freight and storage charges•Licenses required to perform a service•Membership in a professional association•Services of visiting speakers, lecturers

Professional & Consultant Service Contracts (PCS)

What is a PCS contract?

• Professional• Consultant

Contracts Greater than $25,000• All PCS contracts with an estimated total

>$25,000 require Arkansas Legislative Council review (monthly)

• All PCS contracts >$25,000 required to use performance standards to give measurements

• Requires disclosure/certification forms • Requires illegal immigrant certification• Construction related professional services are

reviewed by ABA & OSP, for Agencies that are not exempt from ABA

PCS Statistics (last 2 years)• 66% of PCS contracts are under

$250,000• Less than 8% of the total contract

values• Adds 30-45 days to the procurement

process

How does Cooperative Contracting work?• Contracts solicited by an entity other than

OSP• OSP reviews to ensure the solicitation &

contract met state bidding requirements• Once approved, placed on OSP website

Benefits of Cooperative contracts• Increased purchasing volume• Lower prices• Reduce redundancy of multiple solicitations;

reduces administrative costs• Available expertise in buying specific

commodities or services

Office of State Procurement

Email: osp@dfa.arkansas.govPhone: 501-324-9316

Fax: 501-324-9311www.arkansas.gov/dfa/procurement

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