Procurement 101 Washington State Nutrition Association Conference July 30, 2012 Donna Parsons MS, RD Director, Child Nutrition Services Jennifer Mitchell MS, RD Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program Specialist
Mar 27, 2015
Procurement 101
Washington State Nutrition Association ConferenceJuly 30, 2012
Donna Parsons MS, RD Director, Child Nutrition Services
Jennifer Mitchell MS, RDFresh Fruit & Vegetable Program Specialist
Procurement 101 Objectives
• Recognizing the need for financial management.
• Being good stewards - understanding the pass down requirements.
• Procurement Basics:• Understanding free and open competition• Definitions – laying the groundwork for the future• The bottom line
Financial Management
What is it…and why waste time thinking about it?
What is Financial Management?
• It is the management of organizational finances to achieve its financial objectives.
• Key elements include:– Financial Planning: Managing ones needs.– Financial Control: What is being done to ensure
funds are being used properly?– Financial Decisions: Determining how funds are
spent.
Financial Management Importance
• Managing the financial resources of federal school meal programs is critical to the success of maintaining quality standards and ensuring nutritious meals are served to children.
• Dollars spent by the federal government, states, and paying students added together represent a significant level of public funding.
…we are stewards of taxpayers’ money The federal government has a fundamental
responsibility to be effective stewards of the taxpayers' money. We must be responsible with money that comes in to the government, money that is spent, and money that is used in running the government itself. Decision makers and the public must have confidence in financial management in order to make informed decisions about managing government programs and implementing policy.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/financial_default/
Congress
Laws establishing School Nutrition ProgramsLaws establishing financial requirements
USDA
Develop and apply 7 CFR Parts 3016 & 3019Develop and apply program regulations 7 CFR Parts 210, 215, and 220Develop and apply guidance and instructions
OMB
Issue OMB CircularsOMB A-133Circulars A-102, A-110, A-87, A-122, and A-133
State Agencies
Comply with 7 CFR Parts 3016 and 3019Comply with USDA program regulations 7 CFR Parts 210, 215, and 220Comply with USDA guidelines and instructionsComply with state law, regulations, and policies that are not in conflict with federal requirements
School Food Authorities (aka LEAs)Comply with 7 CFR Parts 3016 and 3019Comply with USDA program regulations 7 CFR Parts 210, 215, and 220Comply with USDA guidelines and instructionsComply with state law, regulations, and policies that are not in conflict with federal requirementsComply with local law, regulations, and policies that are not in conflict with federal requirements
Poor financial management…
Who?
• All entities using federal funds must follow the federal procurement process.
• Proper procedures, no matter how small the cost, must be followed by anyone using federal funds.
What?• Procurement is the purchasing of goods and
services.• It is a process, not an event, which involves:– Distinct phases of planning;– Drafting specifications;– Advertising the procurement;– Awarding the contract, and;– Managing the contract.
Why?• Going through the procurement process is to
ensure that the LEA receives goods and services:
• from the most responsible vendor;• from the most responsive bid;• at the lowest possible price.
A Good Procurement
• A good procurement consists of four principles:– Free and open competition;– Fairness and integrity;– Responsive and responsible contractors, and;– Transparency.
The Importance of Competition
• Accountability to taxpayers;• More and/or higher-quality goods
and services;• Protection of businesses and the health of the
economy, and;• The cost of good and services may be the only
area the LEA can directly influence its costs.
• Program Regulations for Procurement:–NSLP: 7 CFR 210.21– SBP: 7 CFR 220.16– SFSP: 7 CFR 225.17– CACFP: 7 CFR 226.22
• Uniform Administrative Requirements for Procurement:– State/local governments: 7 CFR 3016.36– Non-profits: 7 CFR 3019.44
Where?
7 CFR Part 210
LEAs must:
•Establish and operate a nonprofit school food service account.
•Ensure all revenue from all food service operations conducted by the LEA is retained and used only for the operation or improvement of the nonprofit school nutrition program.
7 CFR 3016.36(b)(3)• LEAs must have a written code of procurement
standards or conduct:– Guidelines/limitations for employee actions.– Be clear about need to avoid real and perceived
conflicts of interest.– Foster competition in all actions.– Require rationale and documentation for methods
used.– Establish written selection procedures for all methods
used.
Buy American Provision• National School Lunch Act requires the purchase of
domestic agricultural commodities and domestic food products.
• LEAs must ensure end products received from processors contain only domestic goods (i.e. flour used to make chicken nuggets).
• LEAs should include a Buy American clause in all product specifications, solicitations, purchase orders, and any other procurement documents so that
contractors are aware of this requirement.
Geographic Preference
• The 2008 Farm Bill amended the National School Lunch Act to include geo preferences.
• Applying a geo preference is prohibited in federal procurement except where applicable federal laws expressly permit their use.
• Geo preferences are not required, it is an option that must be stated in the solicitation.
When?
Anytime the LEA decides to purchase, it must go through the procurement process.
– There is no bottom threshold amount.
Procurement Planning Steps
Procurement Methods
• Similarities– Use of a solicitation– Competitive– Not based on basis of cost plus percentage of cost
or cost plus percentage of interest
• Differences– Informal method typically yields fewer bids– Formal method is more rigorous and prescriptive
Procurement Methods
• Key elements to determine formal or informal:– The estimated value of the contract.• Requires knowledge of the most restrictive small purchase
threshold.• The value includes purchased and donated USDA Foods.• The small purchase threshold applies to an event, not to
cumulative purchases over the year.
– The length of time the vendor will guarantee price(s).
Splitting the Procurement
LEAs may not intentionally split purchases to fall below the small purchase threshold and to avoid the formal procurement method.
Informal Procurement • Does not exceed the small purchase
threshold:• USDA = <$100,000• Washington State = <$75,000
• Requires a solicitation for quotes• Should be written prior to request for quotes• A minimum of 3 quotes
• Requires detailed documentation
Informal Procurements
Four Solicitation Phases •Write down the specifications•Identify >2 responsive quote sources•Obtain written confirmation of quotes•Make award determination
Formal Procurement • Can be used with any procurement but is
required with purchases of:• USDA = >$100,000• Washington State = >$75,000
• Requires a solicitation for bids • Requires detailed documentation• Two types of formal procurements• Competitive sealed bids• Competitive non-sealed bids
Competitive Sealed Bids
• LEAs advertise an Invitation to Bid (IFB)• Results only in a fixed price contract– Firm fixed price– Fixed price with economic priced adjustment– Fixed price with prospective price redetermination
• Requires no negotiation• Awarded solely on basis of price
Competitive Sealed Bid Examples• Firm fixed price for canned vegetables:– Specs are easy to develop– Forecast amounts based on past performance– Award to the lowest responsive bidder
• Fixed price w/prospective price redetermination for milk products:– Same as firm fixed price– Advance price for skim milk & butterfat is used
monthly to adjust price up or down based on federal milk market order.
Competitive Non-Sealed Bids
• LEAs advertise an Request for Proposals (RFP)• Results in a fixed price contract.• Used when price is one of several factors in
determining the award. – RFPs are not sealed as the LEA and vendors may
need to negotiate contract factors.– Award is based ultimately on price.
Some final things to consider….• USDA Foods• Procuring a processor? • Be clear about distribution agreements• Address whether bonus USDA Foods may require
processing• Address possible substitutions whether involving
commercial or USDA Foods
USDA Foods• Schools participating in NSLP and SBP receive USDA
Foods, called “entitlement” foods• Schools may choose to process USDA Foods– Food safety concerns (most items come fully cooked)– Difficult to use food items in raw form– More varied higher quality meals– Reduction in prep time and waste– Portion control– Product consistency (i.e., getting same chicken nugget
each time)– Cost (labor cost associated with processing)
Resource
Tip: New FD Policy Memo on Soliciting Bids from Commercial Distributors for End Products (FD-119)
(http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/policymemo/pmfd119_NSLP_PROC-SolicitingBids.pdf)
Resource
Tip: FD Policy Memo on Further Clarification in Crediting for, and Use of, Donated Foods in Contracts with Food Service Management Companies (FD-110)
(http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/Policy-Memos/2011/SP05%20-2011_os.pdf)
Questions?