Final Call for Submissions - Deadline July 27!
Nominations for the George Cronin Award for Procurement Excellence are due this month!
Share new or improved initiatives for the opportunity to be nationally recognized and be a part of improving the public procurement function nationwide. Hurry before it's too late. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, July 27, so don't wait. Nominate your state initiative today!

New NASPO Release: Critical Success and Key Performance Indicators for State Central Procurement Offices
Check out NASPO's recent publication including critical success areas and key metrics for state central procurement offices.  

This resource includes four critical success areas and key performance indicators (KPIs) that the state central procurement organization should focus on to be successful. NASPO suggests using this limited number of metrics defined for each area as central to the success of the state central procurement office. We encourage each office to develop its own KPIs that are strategic, actionable, relevant, and in line with their statutory requirements, statewide strategy and organizational goals.

This resource is the result of a collaborative effort by the Best Practices Committee's Performance Measures Work Group led by Mike Richart. Thanks again to all state members who participated in our research and shared their best practices regarding performance metrics!

Read the Procurement Perspectives piece on KPIs  HERE .
 
Contact Elena Moreland, NASPO Senior Policy Analyst, if you have any questions about thi s publication.
The Emerging Issues Committee's Procurement Reform Work Group is excited to present the second of our two-part webinar series on trends in Procurement Reform on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Charlene Rendon from Texas, Shane Caudill from Virginia, and Roz Ingram from Florida will discuss how their states are using data analytics to improve the procurement process. Join us for an engaging discussion, and find out what's in the numbers!


Please contact Megan Smyth, Senior Policy Analyst with any questions.
Explore the Possibilities for the future of public procurement at the 2016 NASPO Annual Conference .

The event combines high-quality education with peer-to-peer engagement, designed to support Chief Procurement Officers as you seek to align procurement practices with the ever-evolving needs of your state.  Registration for the 2016 conference, September 25-28, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is NOW OPEN!
 NASPO Network: In Case You Missed It
There has been some heavy discussion traffic in the NASPO Network lately. Don't forget to check out some of the latest conversations to keep current on all that is going on with NASPO, and your peers in other states. Here are a couple of discussion that you may have missed this month that are worth taking another look:
 UPPCC Prep Courses Now Available
The CPPB and CPPO prep 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 (non-accredited CEU credits)
Text Included : NASPO State and Local Procurement: A Practical Guide 
Courses Duration: August 8 - October 3, 2016         
Member Cost: $300
Non Member Cost:  $480
                                                                                         
Registration Closes:  July 31, 2016  (Each course has a limit on the number of participants.)
 
To see all available Procurement U courses available visit here.

Cloud Solutions: Getting the Security and Controls Right
Join NASPO ValuePoint, CloudBC, and The Cloud Security Alliance on July 20, 2016 

Every day more governments move IT applications into the cloud.  With new cooperative procurement awards, cloud services are quick to put into place.  But, how can governments be sure the security and data controls in a cloud application meet their security needs and are sufficient for their workload?
 
Contracting strategies in British Columbia and with NASPO ValuePoint are leading the way through the use of Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) tools for governments to perform due diligence on their cloud service awards.  In this webinar, you will learn to:
  • Use the new cooperative procurement contracts
  • Assess your data and workload security classifications and risks
  • Identify standards and controls in an awarded Cloud application
  • Assure the Cloud application you select meets your data and security needs  


Time: 1:00 PM PT/ 2:00PM MT/ 3:00PM CT/ 4:00PM ET
Length: 1 hour

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn more about how to make sure your cloud application meets your security and data controls!
NASCA Webinar: 
Solicitation and Management of Large Contracts 

Register now for this webinar opportunity on July 28 at 3:00 p.m. ET

NASPO members are invited by our colleagues at the National Association of Chief State Administrators (NASCA) to attend a webinar on  "Solicitation and Management of Large Contracts," on July 28 at  3:00 pm ET. 

Contract management is a critical area of focus for state administrators. Government more than ever is trending more toward using third party vendors, as that practice continues, states will need to improve their capacity to manage vendors to effective outcomes with smaller state work forces. But in most cases, the management of contracts is left to individual heroes in agencies, with little to no organizational structure to create and instill best practices across the board. What needs to be done, and how to begin?
 
This webinar will cover what states are doing today regarding establishing contract management practices, and attendees will hear from one of the leaders in creating an innovative approach to contract management. 
Time: 3:00 PM ET
Length: 1 hour

Log in information will be distributed to registered attendees. If you have any questions, please contact Shawn Vaughn at 859.514.9156. 
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.