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Colorado Procurement News

July, 2022

News for the Statewide Procurement Community from the State Purchasing and Contracts Office

From the CPO

Earlier this year, the SPCO set out to identify our Mission and Vision statements. I worked closely with my team ensure these new statements would inspire us and serve as guideposts as we provide service to our customers, and I'd like to share them with you. 

Mission: Manage the State's decentralized procurement process in order to ensure the procurement of quality goods and services at best value through fair, open and competitive processes.

Vision: Support the procurement and vendor communities through modernization of Colorado procurement.

I truly believe the statements we crafted represent the SPCO and all that we strive to do. As we start a new fiscal year its a great time to remember that we are here to help enable your success, and to support you in the service your agencies provide to the great state of Colorado.

Sincerely,

Sherri Maxwell, CPPB
Chief Procurement Officer

SPCO Staffing Update

We are happy to report that the SPCO is fully staffed, and to welcome our new Procurement Instructional Designer Thomas Wilson! Thomas comes to us from a background in higher education, and most recently has been working as a freelance academic editor, translator, and research assistant. Before that, he was a lecturer at Princeton University. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Thomas enjoys spending time outdoors, and is always ready to trade recommendations for hikes, bike rides, and good food in and around Denver. You can learn more about him below in the Procurement Spotlight. Welcome, Thomas!

New Commitment Voucher Thresholds

Updates to the Fiscal Rules, which went into effect on July 1st, included changes to the dollar limits and requirements for commitment vouchers. The table below shows the new thresholds which are also available on our Procurement Resources page. You can access all of the Fiscal Rules on the State Controller website.

SDVOSB Reporting Reminder

The annual SDVOSB report is due to the State Legislature by September 30 each year, per the statutory requirements found in 24-103-905 CRS. The SPCO will be reaching out to the non-CORE agencies under the procurement code within the next few weeks.

Please send any questions to barbara.musick@state.co.us

Did You Know?

Did you know there are specific contract policies and templates for grants to and contracts with Tribal Nations and other Federally recognized tribes that are required to be used? Policies and templates can be found on the State Controller website.

Reminder: All NASPO-designed

Procurement U courses are now free!

Last year, as a way to thank the procurement professionals who led the way in procuring critical PPE and essential needs for state and local governments across the country, the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) made all of their Foundational Procurement courses free for everyone! 

Visit Procurement U to view the course offerings, which include:

• Contract Administration Strategies
• Introduction to Cooperative Procurement
• Negotiations 104, and more!

You can create a free Procurement U account and sign up for these courses here. Note that most Procurement U courses are self-paced, so you can start them at any time.

Questions? Email procurementu@naspo.org.

Live Procurement Training

These training courses are currently being offered via Zoom. Visit the SPCO Procurement Training page for more information. 

Statutory Violations Prevention
7/12/2022 | 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Register
9/13/2022 | 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Register

Controller Pre-Delegation Training
8/16/2022 | 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Register
11/15/2022 | 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Register

Contract Drafting Boot Camp
8/25/2022 | 8:00am - 3:00pm
Register
12/22/2022 | 8:00am - 3:00pm
Register

COPROU Procurement Learning Library

These training courses are available to State procurement professionals through the Colorado Procurement University (COPROU). Visit the SPCO Procurement Training page for more information. 

• Foundations of State Procurement
• Methods of Source Selection
• Ethics and Conflicts of Interest

Contact thomas.wilson@state.co.us with questions about training. 

Name: Thomas Wilson

Title: Procurement Instructional Designer

Organization: State Purchasing & Contracts Office

Tell us a little bit about your background: I grew up in Sydney, Australia, and moved to the US in 2015 for grad school, where I met my wife. After six years in the Northeast, we were both ready for a change, and we moved to Colorado last summer.

How long have you been with your current organization? I just started at the SPCO in June.

How did you get into the procurement field? This is my first position in the procurement field. My background is in education and instructional design, and I’m excited to apply that experience to this field. Having my own recent experience learning about procurement should be helpful as I develop training materials to help others gain the same knowledge.

Did you work in other professions, and if so where and for how long? My professional background is mostly in higher education, where I was involved in design, development and delivery of college classes for around six years. I’ve also taught students ranging from middle-schoolers to retirees—once even in the same classroom!

Please share a professional or personal accomplishment you're proud of: One accomplishment that I’m proud of is teaching college-level Latin to students incarcerated in a low-security federal prison. By taking our class, the students were able to meet the language requirement to receive an associate degree while they were in prison. Teaching classes in that environment came with unique challenges which really made me get creative in the design and delivery of the material.

Tell us something interesting and unique about yourself: Since moving to the US in 2015, I’ve made a point of trying to visit as many states as possible. My count is currently at 38, and since many of the states I’m missing are in the Midwest and West, I’m looking forward to adding to that tally now that I live in Colorado!

State Price Agreement Updates

• The annual fleet vehicle solicitation is being developed and will be published later this month. Additionally, some manufacturers and dealers have agreed to extend their contracts. Please contact Amy.Risley@state.co.us for additional information. 
• The SPCO is developing a solicitation for new price agreements for temporary healthcare staffing services, with the intent to support both institutional healthcare facilities as well as any emergency related needs. Contact John.Chapman@state.co.us with any questions.