On Demand Procurement Training

About the Program

Category: Financial Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

Prince William County Procurement Services staff identified a need for a standardized County-wide Procurement Training Program to meet the objectives of a consistent education regarding the County’s procurement guidelines and processes, with the goal of creating internal efficiencies, reducing risk, and enhancing the County’s reputation in the supplier community. Procurement Services staff. in partnership with a group of procurement power users from various County departments, defined the objectives as: • Creating internal efficiencies; by involving in the process internal stakeholders who are responsible in multiple departments for managing the technical procurement process. This collaboration allows all county departments to now use uniform language, format, justification, etc.; approving transactions faster; requiring fewer corrections. • Reducing risk and enhancing our reputation in the supplier community as a fair and consistent business partner, operating in compliance with procurement laws and regulations. Prince William County utilizes a “decentralized/centralized” procurement model. Departments are not required to send individual requests for sourcing to Procurement Services. The Prince William County Procurement Regulations grants departments the authority to purchase goods and services directly under a certain dollar threshold, with minimal intervention by Procurement Services. The success of the program, in a post COVID-19 world, provides online training and guidance to both new and seasoned staff. The training is available on any device and from any location. The direct result is that the number of purchase orders that the procurement office needs to reject, or return, has declined. This is allowing for faster turnaround time in the creation and issuance of purchase orders and solicitations. Procurement Officers can refer users to the course material instead of repeating live 1:1 training, freeing up the Procurement Officer's time to focus on strategic sourcing. End users are more confident and accepting of the procurement process, improving the quality of collaboration across departments. The County is better protected because users have more clarity about the procurement principles and laws in Virginia, reducing the likelihood that appropriate competition will not be achieved.