Texas State Procurement Training and UPPS No. 05.02.05

Certification Requirements Issue No. 1

Effective Date: 03/31/2011

Review: October 1 E4Y

01. POLICY STATEMENTS

01.01 This policy specifies the minimum procurement training and certification requirements for any Texas State University-San Marcos (Texas State) employee identified as a Texas State “procurer” (i.e. purchaser, procurement specialist, buyer, etc.) as defined in Section 02, below.

01.02 The Texas State Purchasing Office will implement, oversee, and maintain a procurement training and certification program that will:

a. Require all Texas State procurers to obtain an appropriate level of procurement training or certification that is determined essential to protect the best interests of Texas State;

b. Provide continuing education opportunities to Texas State procurers regarding “best value” procurement techniques and methodologies; and

c. Keep Texas State procurers abreast of any changes which may impact Texas State’s procurement processes.

01.03 This policy applies to all Texas State procurers who routinely purchase goods, materials, services, or prepare competitive solicitations to procure goods, materials, or services on behalf of Texas State including utilizing the following Texas State procurement processes:

a. Use of P-card for any procurement regardless of the amount;

b. Use of P-card for any procurement exceeding the standard Texas State P-card spending defaults;

c. Use of BOBCATBUYS or any of its procurement modules;

d. Use of SAP’s Materials Management module for procurement ; or

e. Any other approved procurement process at Texas State.

02. DEFINITIONS

02.01 P-Card – Texas State issued State of Texas procurement card used for the purchase of small dollar or emergency procurements. For additional details, refer to the Texas State P-Card Manual: (http://www.txstate.edu/gao/purchasing/resources/ProcurementCard.html)

02.02 HUB – Vendors certified by the State of Texas as Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB). The State of Texas mandates this vendor class for consideration for increased procurement opportunities and awards with state agencies and institutions of higher education. A vendor must meet certain criteria established by the State of Texas in order to be certified as a HUB. For additional details, refer to the Texas State HUB Outreach Program Web site: http://www.txstate.edu/gao/hubprogram/

02.03 BOBCATBUYS – E-Procurement system implemented at Texas State to expedite and improve the efficiency of the procurement process and leverage Texas State’s purchasing power, while ensuring compliance with applicable procurement policies and procedures. BOBCATBUYS consists of several separate modules including BOBCATALOG and BOBCATBIDS. This is the preferred Texas State procurement process because of the built-in workflow and approval processes, ability to capture detailed procurement or spend data, and user friendliness. For additional details, refer to the Texas State Purchasing Web site at: http://www.txstate.edu/gao/purchasing/

02.04 Solicitation – Requests or invitations to vendors to submit bids, proposals, offers, information, qualifications, or other expressions of interest, either formal or informal, in order to receive an award, order, or contract to provide goods or services to meet Texas State’s needs.

02.05 Procurers – Texas State employees whose primary job duties include responsibility to prepare and issue procurement solicitations or purchase goods or services to meet the needs of their operating units. Texas State job titles which, by their nature, meet these criteria include, “buyer,” “purchaser,” and “procurement specialist.” The director of Purchasing, with the concurrence of the associate vice president for Financial Services (AVPFS) and the vice president for Finance and Support Services (VPFSS), may determine that other employees by the nature of their jobs, meet the definition of a Texas State procurer. It does not include:

a. Account managers or others who only approve a requisition to expend the funds for making a purchase per UPPS No. 03.01.09, Fiscal Responsibilities of Account Managers at Texas State, or give special approvals because of the nature of the procurement (i.e., hazardous, radioactive materials, live animals, vehicles, security equipment, assets, or sponsored programs, etc.); however, the university will hold account managers personally responsible for the cost of inappropriate purchases;

b. Those employees designated the authority to obligate the university by signing contracts in accordance with UPPS No. 03.04.02, Contracting Authority; or

c. Employees charged with responsibilities for real property acquisitions or leasing.

03. PROCEDURES

03.01 The director of Purchasing is responsible for the development, administration, evaluation, and monitoring of a procurement training and certification plan at Texas State. The director shall:

a. Develop the curriculum, study materials, arrange for classrooms and supplies, and assign classroom instructors based on availability and needs;

b. Assure that the available schedule of classes are communicated to Texas State procurers via email on a “first come, first served” basis and posted to a training Web site; and

c. Track required procurement training and certifications completed for each identified Texas State procurer.

03.02 Procurers are responsible to:

a. Schedule, attend and complete required procurement training or certification identified for their role;

b. Schedule, attend and complete the necessary continuing education units (CEU’s) required for their role; and

c. Notify and provide evidence or documentation for the director of Purchasing files upon successful completion of required procurement training classes, certification, or continuing education.

03.03 Department heads are responsible for assuring compliance with the applicable employees (procurers) they supervise.

04. CORE PROCUREMENT TRAINING

04.01 Core training will provide Texas State procurers a basic understanding of the strategies, tools, procedures, policies, guidelines, documentation, and principles of procurement at Texas State.

04.02 Core training will include the following topics:

a. Procurement basics

b. Procurement ethics

1) Conflicts of interest (actual or perceived)

2) Public integrity

c. Principles of best value

d. Supplier relationships

e. Competitive solicitations

f. HUB Mandates

g. Roles and responsibilities of buyers and suppliers

h. Procurement processes

1) Competitive solicitations

2) Single or sole source procurements

3) Emergency purchases

4) P-cards

5) Requisition to check process

6) E-procurement

7) Documentation and records management

8) Pros and cons of use of P-cards, E-procurement, and SAP procurement

i. Laws, regulations, policies and procedures

1) Texas State Purchasing Office guidelines

2) Texas State university policies

3) Texas State University System (TSUS) Rules and Regulations

4) Federal and state laws, rules, regulations, and policies

(a) Texas Public Information Act

(b) Standards of conduct for state employees

(d) Excluded parties list

5) AG opinions impacting the procurement processes

6) Procurement procedures

j. Procurement systems, methods and tools

1) P-cards (procurement cards)

(a) Use, limitations, and restrictions

(b) Texas State university and state rules

(d) Audit and review

2) SAP Materials Management procurement

(a) Use and limitations

(b) T-Codes and workflow

3) BOBCATBUYS

(a) Overview

(b) Modules in use

4) BOBCATALOG

(a) E-procurement objectives

(b) Forms, screens and reports

5) BOBCATBIDS

(a) Creating a solicitation (request or invitation for bid, proposal, qualifications or offer, etc.)

(b) Evaluating responses to a solicitation

(d) Bid to procure process

6) Summary and conclusion

(a) Strategic procurement and your role in the process

(b) Gaining the benefits

05. PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATIONS

05.01 The Texas State procurement training and certification requirements program has approved only the procurement or contract certifications listed below:

a. Institute for Supply Management(ISM)

1) Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM)

2) Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)

b. National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP)

1) Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)

2) Certified Public Purchasing Buyer (CPPB)

c. National Contract Managers Association (NCMA)

1) Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM)

2) Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM)

3) Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM)

d. State of Texas (administered by the Texas Procurement and Support Services Division of the Texas Comptroller’s Office)

1) Certified Texas Purchaser (CTP)

2) Certified Texas Purchasing Manager (CTPM)

3) Certified Texas Contract Manager (CTCM)

05.02 When a procurer receives a bachelors or advanced degree in a logistics, acquisition, contract, or procurement field from an accredited institution of higher education, the university will waive the required certification in Section 05.01, for a maximum of six calendar years beginning immediately after the degree’s receipt.

a. If the procurer waives certification, the procurer must obtain the appropriate required procurement certification when the waiver expires.

b. If the procurer receives additional degrees as specified in Section 05.02, the procurer will receive an additional four calendar years waiver of the certification requirements.

05.03 Other procurement certifications from recognized procurement or contract certifying organizations may meet the procurement certification requirement if determined by the director of Purchasing, with the concurrence of the AVPFS, that the certification is equivalent (e.g. equal or superior) to one of the acceptable procurement certifications listed in Section 05.01, above.

a. A procurer wishing to substitute an equivalent procurement certification should prepare a written request to the director of Purchasing and obtain their supervisor’s concurrence. The request is to include a letter of justification describing the substitute certification requirements and certification criteria along with supporting documentation.

b. The director of Purchasing will review the substitute certification request and either:

1) recommend to the AVPFS that the substitute procurement certification requested is an acceptable equivalent; or

2) reject the substitution request and provide the requesting procurer reasons for the rejection.

c. If the director of Purchasing rejects the substitution request, the procurer may appeal in writing through his or her supervisor to the AVPFS, whose decision is final.

06. PROCUREMENT PERSONNEL COMPLIANCE TO TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

06.01 Upon adoption of this UPPS, each Texas State staff member identified as a procurer in Section 02, will have a maximum of eighteen months to complete the required training or certification.

06.02 New employees hired as procurers after adoption of this UPPS must comply with the training and certification requirements within twelve months of the date of hire.

06.03 The university will not allow procurers that do not meet these requirements to solicit or procure for the university in any capacity.

a. The university may terminate or re-assign the employee to a position without procurement responsibilities, if possible, at the direct supervisor’s discretion.

b. Approval for an exception or an extension, to the Texas State procurement training and certification requirements are on a case-by-case basis. The request is routed through the appropriate divisional vice president or cabinet officer and concurrence is obtained in writing from the vice president for Finance and Support Services after consultation with the AVPFS and director of Purchasing.

07. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

07.01 Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

Position Date

Associate Vice President for October 1 E4Y

Financial Services

Director of Purchasing October 1 E4Y

Director of Contract Compliance October 1 E4Y

08. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Associate Vice President for Financial Services; senior reviewer of this UPPS

Vice President for Finance and Support Services

President