Save the Date for Upcoming Conferences and Events
We are in the midst of another year of busy conference planning. Mark your calendar to save the date for some of our upcoming scheduled member events. 

Leadership Academy - August 4-5, 2016, Cambridge, MA
Annual Conference - September 25-28, 2016, Minneapolis, MN
State Procurement Law Institute - December 4-6, 2016, Charleston, SC

More details will be sent out regarding registration and travel information as we get closer to the events. In the meantime, if you are traveling to one of our regional conferences over the next few months, please keep in mind these housekeeping tips for reimbursements.
Travel Reimbursement Housekeeping Tips
Please share the 2016 reimbursement forms and policy with all state members who may be traveling this year, to ensure they have all the latest information, and experience a smooth reimbursement process.
  • Ensure traveler knows how to get the required second signature before submitting
  • Include detailed/itemized receipts to get the full compensation
  • For conferences or events that provide meals, outside meals and drinks will not be reimbursed
  • Include supporting documents for each charge. For tips or per diem meals, include a list explaining the amounts to speed the reimbursement process.
Here are the direct links to the current forms on the NASPO Network Member Central:
 Join us for a Procurement Reform Roundtable
The Emerging Issues Committee's Procurement Reform Work Group is happy to present a two-part Webinar Series on Procurement Reform, beginning with Part One - "Procurement Reform Roundtable"  on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
State members will be sharing their successes and challenges,
advice, and future goals concerning the varied aspects of procurement reform.  The Roundtable will allow for open discussion and a sharing of ideas among members.  Let's help each other take on the rewarding challenges of procurement reform!  

You can register for the Procurement Reform Roundtable by clicking the Register button.   
 
Please contact Megan Smyth, Senior Policy Analyst,  at [email protected] with any questions.

NCMA interviews NASPO member, Roz Ingram, Chief Procurement Officer for the State of Florida

National Contract Management Magazine did a State and Local Contracting Profile on Roz Ingram, Chief Procurement Officer of the State of Florida, to discuss procurement within a major state purchasing agency, as well as the importance of training and networking to state and local contracting officials.


Your State could be the next Cronin Award Winner!
Don't miss out! NASPO wants to give your state the recognition it deserves through the George Cronin Awards for Procurement Excellence!

Nominations are underway and we want to encourage every state to share what they have been working on, big or small, not only for a chance to be recognized, but also as an exciting way to share ideas and innovative solutions among the states.

Deadline is Wednesday, July 27th. Submission guidelines and the nomination form can be found online at www.naspo.org/2016CroninNominations.


Don't just take our word on it!

"Being recognized on a national level  with the Cronin Award validates the  creative approach the New York State  procurement team has taken in our  contracting." 

- RoAnn Destito, Commissioner, New York State Office of  General Services

 Procurement U: Register now for CPPB and CPPO Prep Courses
For more information on the examination process visit http://www.uppcc.org.

Procurement U now offers  CPPB and CPPO prep courses. These courses are designed as a facilitated review of the UPPCC Body of Knowledge. Each course will provide resources, open discussion, case studies, and assessment tools which allow individuals to gauge individual exam readiness. Course participants are expected to have acquired knowledge in each of the domain areas, thorough training, professional experience, and understanding of the application to practice. While learning elements within the course cover the domain topic areas, this course is not designed to be instructional in nature, but rather a review of knowledge obtained prior to course participation. The courses will have a facilitator who will be available to review the material, facilitate questions, and lead discussions.

Delivery method: Web Based, Instructor Led 
Contact Hours: 12 
Text Included: NASPO State and Local Procurement: A Practical Guide
Courses Expected to Launch: Early August, 2016                           
Registration Closes: July 31st, 2016 (Each course has a limit on the number of participants.) 

 
New Course Available: 202: Market Research Strategies
Procurement U is also proud to announce the launch of Course 202: Market Research Strategies. This course is the perfect compliment to  Course 102: Introduction to Market Research that is also currently available through Procurement U. 

The purpose of Market Research Strategies is to analyze market research by exploring an acquisition plan, a market research cycle, spend analysis, and total cost of ownership. For more specifics on the course a copy of the syllabus can be found here

Delivery method: Web Based, Self Paced
Contact Hours:

NASPO ValuePoint's eMarket Center
NEW! Click here to view the NASPO ValuePoint eMarket Center video now available! Learn how this tool can help you maximize your budget and leverage your buying power, worry free.
NASPO ValuePoint eMarket Center
NASPO ValuePoint eMarket Center
Invitation to Membership from NCMA
Thanks again for your hospitality at the recent NASPO How to Market to State Governments Meeting.  I enjoyed myself and it was good to become better acquainted with you and your members.  Towards that goal, this message extends an invitation to all of your members to attend NCMA's World Congress 2016, taking place on July 24-27 in Orlando, FL.
 
World Congress is this year's largest educational and networking event for contract management, procurement, and acquisition professionals. Included is an impressive lineup of state and local speakers, including your own Rosalyn Ingram, director of state purchasing and CPO, State of Florida, Diane Lancaster (CPO, Oregon) and Larry Maxwell (Dir of State Purchasing, New Mexico) who will participate in our panel titled, "Defining Innovation in Acquisition," moderated by David Gragan, Senior Procurement Executive, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, former NASPO President and CPO for Washington DC and two additional states.
 
Attendees will choose from 119 breakout sessions directly aligned to the Contract Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK). Just a few state and local topics that may interest you are listed below. Please feel free to share with your members and invite them to attend.
 
We are pleased to offer NASPO members and their direct staff only a discounted registration rate of $925. Registration information can be found here. Please enter the promotion code " WC16NASPO" on the first page of the registration portal. Refer to the event website for hotel information and all other World Congress details.
 
Hope to see you there!   Best Regards,

Mike Fischetti, J.D, CPCM, Fellow, CAE
Executive Director
National Contract Management Association
UPPCC Governing Board
Universal Public Procurement Certification Council  ( UPPCC ) board members and staff gathered in Virginia in late April for a board meeting. UPPCC is the primary certifying entity for public procurement employees. It was formed in 1978, when NASPO and The National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) established UPPCC to serve as a separate entity focused upon the certification of public procurement professionals.
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.