Now Accepting Cronin Nominations

NASPO is excited to announce that nominations for the 2018 Cronin Awards are now being accepted! 
 
With a criterion focusin g on innovation, transferability, service improvement, and cost reduction, the Cronin Awards recognize outstanding state procurement initiatives, providing well-deserved appreciation to state and its procurement personnel who have undertaken, and accomplished projects that result in distinct benefits to the state.

Last year the Cronin Awards saw a record number of submissions, and we are encouraging our members to continue that tradition by submitting even more this year! 

The deadline for nominations is Monday, August 6th, 2018. CLICK HERE to review the submissions guidelines and download the 2018 submission form. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Kevin Minor .
Survey of State Procurement Practices - 2018 Data Collection Reminder!

NASPO's 2018 data collection for the NASPO Survey of State Procurement
Practices will be open through April 10th .  We look forward to your state's input to this important data collection, which supports NASPO's body of knowledge for state procurement practices nationwide. 

Please submit your survey responses by April 10, 2018, and help us achieve a 100 percent response rate. 

Email Elena Moreland at [email protected] if you did not receive your state's unique survey link.  Stay tuned for an announcement in May about the published Survey Report based on state responses.  Thank you for your participation! 
Learning, Networking and Partnering in the Big Apple during the 2018 NASPO Exchange  

On March 18-20, 2018, 627 state procurement professionals, suppliers, small business leaders and government stakeholders convened in New York City to participate in the 2018 NASPO Exchange. This year's Exchange outpaced last year's record-breaking attendance by more than 11 percent, demonstrating the continued value of this unique opportunity for enga gement between state procurement professionals and the supplier community.

One-on-One meetings between state procurement staff and vendor representatives continue to be the nucleus of the Exchange. Dedicating a large portion of the conference to these pre-scheduled face-to-face meetings allows participants ample occasions to focus on the contract and business needs of the individual states represented at the Exchange.  

In addition to One-on-Ones, participants engaged in high-energy, large group educational and learning opportunities on topics ranging from debunking procurement myths, to addressing the ever-changing needs of IT procurement, to solving problems through positive supplier/government procurement relationships.

This year, state members and suppliers also participated in several small "question group" sessions addressing a variety of procurement-related topics of interest, such as emerging technologies, diversity in the supplier community and green and sustainable purchasing, to name just a few.  

NASPO Exchange participants continued the tradition of giving back to the conference host city by participating in a service project to benefit the local community. This year's NASPO Cares Service Project benefited individuals experiencing homelessness in New York City. Working in cooperation with The Partnership for the Homeless, Exchange attendees assembled 400 individual personal care kits to be distributed to those in need.

While conference feedback is still being collected, enthusiasm for the Exchange was evident in the faces of our participants. We look forward to seeing you at the 2019 NASPO Exchange, April 8-10, 2019, in Denver, Colorado!
Cronin Award Webinar Series Presents New York's Information Technology Manufacturer-Based Umbrella Contracts
Monday, April 23rd 3:00 PM EST

Presenters: Michelle St. Jock and Tyler Ahlborn, Technology Sourcing Team Leaders for the state of New York

Please join us for the third installment of the Cronin Finalist Webinar Series. Our presenters will be Michelle St. Jock and Tyler Ahlborn from the State of New York presenting on their Silver submission for Information Technology Manufacturer-Based Umbrella Contracts.

Facing ever-evolving demands of efficiency and cost savings from existing contracts, the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), Procurement Services, positioned themselves to address these matters with an intriguing concept of "umbrella" contracting.  OGS collaborated with key stakeholders, from state and local chief information officers to vendors, to create a broad-based offering of goods and services. Whether it is project-based IT services, manufacturer-based, or a large distributor that sells a variety of third-party hardware and software needed by users, OGS offers an efficient procurement solution through umbrella contracting.

All Cronin Finalist Webinar Series attendees are eligible to receive a certificate of completion   
credit. To receive credit, one must be present for the  entire duration of the webinar. 
To participate in this webinar, REGISTER now.

A recording of our most recent Cronin Finalist Webinars has been posted. If you missed out on these great and informative webinars, please feel free to watch them online .
 
Did You Know?
NASPO Network Directories

Did you know that included in your member benefits is access to the NASPO Network Member Directory? You can use this directory to search members by first name, last name, email address or even state. So next time you're looking for contact information from "that person whose name you kind of remember who sat across the One-on-One aisle from you at Exchange when you're only pretty sure his name started with a P and he was from Delaware," try the various search options found in the NASPO Member Directory to gain access to necessary contact information. 


Procurement U recently launched its highly anticipated new course, Procurement 101: Foundations of Public Procurement. In less than two weeks, this course has already become the second most popular course offered in Procurement U. Whether you are new to procurement, transitioning from the private sector, or just need a stronger understanding of how the procurement process works, this course is an affordable way to learn the core elements of the profession and earn five continuing education hours at the same time.

Visit the NASPO website to learn more about what is covered and get registered today!

The cost is $100 for NASPO members and all state government employees and $175 for all other learners.

Reminder: Cost of registration can be covered by your state's Professional Development Funds .
What's New on the Pulse?
Be sure to check out NASPO's new blog, Procurement Pulse, for great articles on hot topics in public procurement. If you haven't had a chance to take a look, here's what you've been missing.


Welcome New NASPO Members!


Pete Stamps
Director, Division of Purchases and Supply
Commonwealth of Virginia
David Zwart
Material Administrator
State of Nebraska

Welcome New Associate Member

Marlon Paulo
Deputy Director
California Department of Technology

Congratulations New 
Honorary Members

Eric Mandell, Formerly with the State of California
Mark Lutte, Formerly with the State of Maine


Advancing public procurement through leadership, excellence and integrity.