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National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C. Vol. 33, No. 3 * February 12, 2001 Previous story | Table of Contents | Next story Financial Services News U.S. Communities Holds Annual Meeting One of NACo’s most successful programs is the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance (GPA). This program provides nationally bid governmental contracts to all local governments and captures the buying power of more than 7,000 public entities. Since 1996, this program has saved local governments more than $100 million through discounted purchasing. A steering committee composed of public purchasing managers provides the oversight and day-to-day policy review for the program. This group meets by telephone once each month and face-to-face once a year. On Jan. 18-19, the group met in San Diego, Calif., to design and approve the business plan for U.S. Communities GPA. Fourteen of the 20 steering committee members were in attendance, as were representatives of all of the program vendors. The group reviewed the 1999 and 2000 goals of the purchasing alliance on the first day. U.S. Communities staff reported that the program had successfully re-bid the office supply contract, launched the general supplies contracts, improved the computer contract with the addition of direct manufacturers and additional resellers, improved the furniture contract by adding case goods and established the U.S. Communities non-profit agency to provide staff support to the program. The U.S. Communities staff has met with every vendor in order to establish commitment to the national program necessary to ensure success. Corporate commitment includes corporate and senior management support of the program, a lowest-pricing commitment to the program and a commitment to train their sales force in the contracts and program structure. The GPA hired a public relations firm to review its progress and recommend marketing initiatives in the coming years. As a part of this review, the steering committee assisted in a detailed survey of program goals, expectations, strengths and weaknesses. The public relations firm will provide the committee with final recommendations and will guide the U.S. Communities staff in its implementation during 2001. As a part of the two-day conference, a number of new purchasing concepts were presented for discussion. A number of larger counties and cities are moving to electronic purchasing in order to reduce paperwork and increase efficiency. Metiom, a premier e-procurement provider, demonstrated its capabilities and described a pilot project they are working on with U.S. Communities. PurchasingPool.com gave a presentation on the cooperative purchasing solutions related to capital equipment acquisitions, such as school buses and fire trucks. The group developed an action plan to assist both the vendors and the participants in the program. The group will work on legislative and regulatory barriers to cooperative purchasing that exist in some states and local governments. A comprehensive marketing plan will be distributed to each vendor. Educational materials will be developed to assist participating public entities in pricing analysis, key products, service descriptions and unique vendor qualifications. The U.S. Communities staff will continue to work with the vendors and their sales forces on contract explanation and training, best-pricing analysis and discounts or other incentives that may be offered to localities for volume purchasing or electronic purchasing. The alliance will encourage the inclusion of other regional and national cooperatives in the GPA process and work with these cooperatives to promote best practices and savings for local governments. For more information on the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, visit www.uscommunities.org or call Angie Upton-Caro at (202) 942-4278.
(Financial Services News was written by Steve Swendiman, NACo Financial Services Center managing director/CEO.) |