Page 22 - The Edge Back to School 2022

SUMMER CONFERENCE AND EXPO

BY DON HARRIS
Joanne Douglas Dana Halsey Bill Munch
Navigating Cooperative Contracts for

AASBO Members and Vendors

In the world of cooperative purchasing, AASBO and ask when is the next time you’re bidding on
members and vendors were told what they can widgets. You need to figure out when they are
and cannot do, ranging from the need for due bidding my service.”
diligence to offering and accepting gratuities.
Halsey recommended that vendors be aware of
A breakout session on cooperatives was presented each co-op’s regulations. And Douglas suggested
by Bill Munch, Procurement Compliance and getting involved with several co-ops to improve
Training Office with Valley Schools Management your chances of meeting with a school district.
Group; Joanne Douglas, Buyer, Deer Valley Munch emphasized that public entities – school
Unified School District, and Dana Halsey, districts – are not required to use co-ops. “It’s up
Account Executive, CCS Presentation Systems, to them,” he said.
at AASBO’s Summer Conference and Expo.
Munch explained that due diligence “is the
Munch identified several school district purchasing process a buying entity uses to verify that a
cooperatives, including State Procurement cooperative procurement contract complies with
Office/Set Aside; Mohave Educational Services the applicable rules, regulations and statutes.”
Co-Op; 1GPA Government Procurement Alliance; A school district can make a purchase using
Strategic Alliance for Volume Expenditures; another district’s contract if that contract was
Greater Phoenix Purchasing Consortium of competitively bid and in accordance with Arizona
Schools, National Cooperative Purchasing school procurement rules, according to Munch.
Alliance, OMNIA and General Services
Administration. State Procurement and Mohave Douglas recommended closely checking the
are public entities that do their own contracts, language. With a federal purchase, certain
1GPA, National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance language must be followed, she said.
and OMNIA partner with public procurement “An added benefit of due diligence,” Munch said,
units, and Strategic Alliance and Greater Phoenix “is increased confidence in the buying entity’s
were formed by groups of schools that are able to decision to use someone else’s contract ... and
use each other’s contracts. places the buying entity in a better position to
react to any challenge resulting from the use of
Vendors can become part of a co-op by responding a cooperative contract. Due diligence must be
to a procurement a co-op is doing, Munch said. performed by the buying entity, not the vendor,
“You need to win that procurement by going the co-op or another district.”
through the competitive process,” he said. “If I’m
selling widgets, I’m going to contact these co-ops Munch said some vendors might encourage a

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22 THE EDGE BACK TO SCHOOL 2022