Notice to Agencies: Annual Procurement Plan Due November 30th

This courtesy notice for Annual Procurement Plans, due to the Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA)/Texas Procurement and Support Services Division (TPASS) November 30th, is provided as a friendly reminder to assist agencies in meeting annual requirements as outlined in the State Procurement Manual.

Pursuant to the delegated purchasing provisions of Government Code sec. 2155.132, TPASS is required to review agencies with delegated purchasing authority to ensure “the quality of the agency’s purchasing practices.” Under that statutory section, TPASS is directed to establish rules to administer the delegated purchasing oversight. TPASS has adopted 34 TAC sec. 20.41(h), which requires submission of a procurement plan during a procurement audit or upon request of TPASS.

Please provide your agency procurement plan to the TPASS division electronically to mark.kasPar@cpa.state.tx.us. If you have already provided a hard copy, please send us the document electronically.

Contents of the procurement plan:

• Organizational chart of purchasing division/office. 
• Credit card internal procedures if participating in the, Comdata Fuel Card Program, JPMorgan Chase Corporate Travel Charge Card Program and Procurement Card Program.
• Protest procedures.
• List and sample of signatures authorized to approve or sign a proprietary justification letter.
• List and sample of signatures authorized to approve agency membership fees.
• The training and certification status of the purchasing employees.
• List of purchasers authorized to purchase on behalf of the State.
• Invitation for bid (IFB) form.
• Internal purchasing procedures for agency.
• Conflict of interest statement(s) (statement signed annually for each purchaser or a memo stating that one is in the purchaser’s personnel file).
• Internal purchasing procedures for Excluded Parties List System (EPLS).
• The three (3) highest priority purchases the agency expects to make in fiscal 2009 that are not available through a term contract.
• Agency procedures for response to recommendations for delegated solicitation reviews by Contract Advisory Team (CAT).

Questions regarding the Procurement Plan should be directed to the CATRAD Technical Lead, Mark KasPar, at 512-463-8169.