Page 16 - AASBO EDGE Spring 2025

PURCHASING

BY BILL MUNCH, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB
Basically, What Is Arizona School District
Procurement?

Bill Munch
Well, we got past the first quarter of 2025 and to compete for the school district's business. How
Spring Conference. I am renewed in my excitement can a school district ensure that every prospective
of being a part of AASBO and furthering the cause vendor is being afforded this due process?
to make the state of Arizona a better place for public
procurement. I have continued conducting various Through the issuance of quotes, bids, and proposals,
live procurement workshops of the "Basics" of public purchasing departments prepare the needs of the
procurement over the last couple of months of 2024 school district with vendors who provide the goods
throughout southern Arizona and Yavapai County and services that assist the education process.
and more workshops at the end of April at Mohave
County, Fowler, Highly, and Yuma. I remain further
committed to spreading the gospel of procurement "Procurement is the liaison of sorts

compliance throughout Arizona. between vendors and your school
district."
I am so happy about my role this year as President
of the Arizona State Capitol Chapter of the National
Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) for the A crucial responsibility of the Purchasing
second time in my career. An organization made up Department is to ensure compliance with the Arizona
of the best public procurement folks in and around procurement rules and codes when securing quotes
Maricopa County and the northern counties. I will and establishing contracts with vendors. They
also remain active in the Arizona Copper Chapter of are governed by two specific areas: the Arizona
NIGP which boasts the best from Pima County and Administrative Code (A.A.C.), and the Uniform
the rest of southern Arizona. Systems of Financial Records (USFR). The AAC
and USFR govern the “who, what, when, where,
why, and how” related to the expenditure of school
This article is going to address just what district funds.
school districts should be doing to comply with
the requirements of Arizona School District
procurement. It is my sincere hope that this little Procurement is responsible for the entire lifecycle
article will urge you to pause and examine public of goods and services. Providing ongoing training is
procurement through a new lens. important and so is adopting a proactive approach.
Contracts should be monitored at all times to avoid
any unforeseen problems. It’s a team effort. If
Of course we buy stuff for our respective school everyone in the school district does their part, it
districts, but how do we do that compliantly? The increases the time we can spend improving in other
public procurement role really comes down to giving areas.
our vendors who provide the due process they so
richly deserve. Every member of the public has a right

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16 THE EDGE SPRING 2025