The Purchasing Division is pleased to partner with the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. (NIGP) in presenting a seminar designed specifically for the new and veteran procurement officer.

The class, Purchasing Management and the Relentless Pursuit of Excellence, will be offered on October 26 and 27 at Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Center in Chester, West Virginia.

Great managers believe in excellence and must create an environment that cultivates the same. Exceptional managers recognize that they must focus on the basics and establish a flexible strategic direction with a team-based organizational concept as they work to advance their team and their department.

This one-day seminar is designed to provide a foundation for professional success. This common-sense approach combining self-examination surveys, class exercises and group discussion is applicable for all professionals from entry level buyers to management and executive staff.

Fred Marks, CPPO, VCO, will be the instructor for this seminar. As the director of Material Management for Northern Virginia Community College, Marks was the manager in charge of directing and supervising the professional buying staff, inventory, warehouse, mail and support personnel in purchasing. He was accountable for ensuring compliance with all laws, regulations and procedures. He previously worked for the Port Authority of New York as its supervising buyer for nine years. Marks holds a bachelor degree from Adelphi University.

Space is limited to the first 35 students who register, so act quickly if interested. The cost per participant is $150, which includes all NIGP class material.

The schedule for this seminar is as follows:

October 26

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Group luncheon
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

October 27

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Conclusion

This seminar will provide the participant with eight credit hours toward certification or recertification through NIGP. For more details on NIGP's certification program, please visit its website at www.nigp.org/profesional_development/Cert.htm.

Lodging arrangements must be made by the participant by contacting Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Center at 1-800-80-40-HOT. A special nightly rate of $73 has been negotiated for this event. Please indicate when making your lodging arrangements that you are with the "Purchasing Division Seminar". For more information on this seminar, please call Diane Holley at 304-558-0661 or by e-mail at dholley@ wvadmin.gov.

Click here for the NIGP Seminar Registration form!

A substantial amount of purchasing dollars are delegated to the state agency by the Purchasing Division through delegated purchasing (purchases $10,000 or less). According to purchasing procedures, purchases $1,000 or less do not require competition, but it is always recommended. Since so many of these small purchases on an individual basis may APPEAR to be of little consequence, it is too often looked upon as a convenience and little effort is put forth to properly seek adequate competition. However, this attitude costs the taxpayers thousands of dollars each year. In addition, it costs your agency the use of dollars that could be available for other needed programs.

Switching to car pools and buses

More drivers are using mass-transit and car pools to fight high gasoline prices. A survey of employees at the four Los Angeles area airports show a 20 percent increase in employees who bike, car pool or ride in a van to work. Suburban Seattle residents told the Washington State Department of Transportation that they had begun to car pool. And riders on the commuter rail line from Miami to West Palm Beach, Fla., increased 5.5 percent over last year. Consumers are also search out the lowest gasoline prices they can find.

Instant gratification nation

The savings rate in the U.S. has plunged to the lowest level ever. During the past few years, Americans saved between 1 percent and 2 percent of their income. That means Americans spend up to 99 percent of everything they earn. At the same time they are wondering how to pay for retirement. In the 1970s, savings climbed, reaching a peak in 1980 at 8 percent of income. Savings rates fell with the great bull market of the 1990s because people thought the market was saving for them.

The Cell Phone Parking Lot

The Baltimore-Washington Inter-national Airport now has a free, 50-vehicle area where customers can wait in their vehicles while making cellular telephone contact with arriving passengers. The area is regularly patrolled so drivers do not exceed the one-hour limit.

Unattended vehicles are not allowed. It is very handy for getting information on when a passenger will be through baggage pickup. This is proof that technology is changing many facets of our daily lives.

Questions regarding state travel issues should be directed to State Travel Manager Catherine DeMarco at cdemarco@wvadmin.gov.

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The Cooperative Purchasing Program is a service offered through the Purchasing Division which allows eligible political subdivisions the opportunity to purchase from statewide contracts. Political subdivisions include county governments, county schools, municipalities, urban mass transportation authorities of county and municipal governments, volunteer fire departments, and other local governmental bodies within the state,

Currently, there are 72 statewide contracts which offer a large variety of commodities and services and are utilized on a regular basis by state agencies. Specifications have been prepared to ensure quality materials, equipment and services are provided through a formal competitive bid process.

In most cases, purchasing from statewide contracts meets your requirement for competitive bidding, permitting you to by-pass this process, resulting in a time and administrative cost savings for the participating subdivision.

The Cooperative Purchasing Program also allows interested participants to review statewide contract information online and order desired contracts.

A $100 annual membership fee entitles political subdivisions to participate in this program, thereby entitling them to order up to 10 statewide contracts of your choice. Participating political subdivisions receive any updates or subsequent changes made to the selected contracts during the year. Additional contracts may be purchased at a cost of $5 each.

Once the political subdivision receives the requested contracts, they are authorized to contact the respective vendor directly to order commodities or services. It is important that they refer to the Statewide Contract number to ensure receiving the correct discounted price.

Rita Withrow may be reached at 304-558-7023 should a political subdivision request to obtain an enrollment form. They may use the Statewide Contract Request Form, available online at www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/coop/SWCOrder.htm.

The annual membership fee can be paid by check or credit card. Interested political subdivisions may make credit card payment arrangements by contacting:

Betty Francisco
304-558-0468; e-mail: bfrancisco@wvadmin.gov

Rita Withrow
304-558-7023; e-mail: rwithrow@wvadmin.gov

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The Capitol Building Commission has been established by the Legislature to review and approve, modify or reject any substantial physical or aesthetic changes that alter the State Capitol Building or surrounding complex.

In a recent memorandum from Commissioner Troy Body of the Division of Culture and History, approvals of the Commission were emphasized as mandatory before a contract may be let for work which constitutes a substantial physical change, or before changes are started if the work is not done under a contract.

Body stressed that substantial physical changes refer to permanent physical changes that alter the structural integrity or aesthetic beauty of the public areas of the Capitol Building and surrounding complex, but does not include renovations or repairs needed to maintain the Capitol Building and surrounding complex. Changes, such as painting, paneling, partitions and drop ceilings, do not need the Commission's approval; however, the proposed plans and details are to be shared with the Commission for its use and information.

Remember that in accordance with §4-8-5 of the West Virginia Code, any contract or purchase orders relating to renovations to any building within the Capitol Complex shall not be bid or executed until approval has been obtained by the Capitol Building Commission.

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National Travel is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and the Society of Government Travel Professionals (SGTP). It was ranked 19th of 26,000 agencies in the nation by Business Travel News, one of the travel industry's leading publications.

In order to better serve the state of West Virginia, National Travel operates 24/7....all day, every day. Carroll indicated that they do not sublet their after-hours operation to a third party, meaning whenever a state traveler calls for assistance or whatever the emergency, he or she is speaking with a fully qualified National Travel consultant.

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What's the State Buying?

(This information is compiled from the West Virginia Purchasing Bulletin. The purpose is to provide an awareness of the variety of products and services being procured in state government. Only a small sample of solicitations are listed.)

CURRENT STATEWIDE CONTRACT UPDATE

Contracts to be Reviewed

File 21
Charlyn Miller
(558-0067)

File 22
Pam Jones
(558-0468)

File 23
Chuck Bowman
(558-2157)

Thank you for viewing our August 2004 Issue of The Buyers Network