Page 18 - The Edge - BTS 2021

PROCUREMENT

BY BILL MUNCH, CPPO, CPPB
What’s Up with All These Federal

Procurement Requirements?
Bill Munch

Before I start, I just wanted to briefly say how humbled Federal funds given to local school districts in the form
I am to have been fortunate enough to be elected Vendor of ESSER funds have substantially increased federal
Representative on the AASBO Board. I could not have spending in a handful of districts.
been successful without the support of Valley Schools, Now, there are a number of districts that are using ESSER
the vendor and school district community and AASBO funds for payroll. Therefore, the increase in federal
itself. I am grateful to each and every one of you. There spending for goods and services in those districts is
is no single organization that has done more to further my less. However, I worked with one school district in June
doing a boatload of buying using federal dollars. The
public procurement career than AASBO.
district needed to stay compliant with federal spending
requirements, which are not always fun.
While I may have a lot on my plate, I pledge to make
the Vendor Representative role my Number One priority As vendors, there are some general things about
as I embark on my 11th year on the AASBO Board. federally purchasing of which you should have a basic
AASBO members and its vendors deserve nothing less. understanding. For formal solicitations and cooperative
Collaboration and transparency will be the cornerstone of contracts, school districts must include myriad federal
my tenure on the board. Thank you again for the faith you contract clauses if any federal dollars are anticipated to
have instilled in me. I will not let the vendors down. be used. If the district wants to use federal dollars for
any cooperative contract purchase, myriad federal contact
“As vendors, there are some general clauses must be included in the contract and cost must
be the Number One evaluation factor in the original
things about federally purchasing solicitation.

of which you should have a basic When making purchases below $100,000 using federal
understanding.” dollars, school districts must include a portion of the
federal clauses required for formal purchases in all
contracts below $100,000. However, when using a
OK, now to the issue at hand. This little article should cooperative contract or district formal bid for purchases
not be considered legal advice but merely a best below $100,000, the district must include myriad federal
practice recommendation based on our School District clauses mentioned in the previous paragraph and cost
Procurement Rules and my 30-plus years of experience as must be the Number One evaluation factor. Simply by
a certified public procurement professional working with utilizing a cooperative contract, the school district makes
vendors both locally and nationally. that informal purchase formal and ALL of the federal
requirements kick in.
As I begin my 25th year authoring articles for The Edge,
be aware that this article and future articles will be Because of the increased use of federal dollars, many
written with a slant toward the vendors and best practices school districts are implementing best practice strategies
for understanding the world of Arizona School District to comply with the stringent federal requirements. On
Procurement. The school districts as always will continue multi-term contracts, often the district will not know if
to benefit from the information. Strong vendors build federal dollars will be used during the term of the contract.
strong schools, which will benefit the children of Arizona. Therefore, districts are putting federal language in nearly
every multi-term contract. Cooperatives like 1GPA and
Vendors, you may have noticed there has been a bit more Mohave are including federal language in nearly, if
hoopla lately regarding purchasing using federal dollars. not ALL, procurements since the co-op has no way of
The rules have not substantially changed, but the amount knowing whether the district will use federal dollars on
of federal purchasing that is happening has increased. a given purchase.

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18 THE EDGE BACK TO SCHOOL 2021