Thursday, April 26, 2012
To: All Certified Procurement Officers
Date: April 26, 2012
Subject: Procurement Procedures for Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunication (Telecom) Acquisitions
Reference: Information Technology Procurement Information Memorandum – 04 (ITPIM-04)
E-Pro Implementation
We are implementing E-Pro within the Information Services Division (ISD). Agencies are being scheduled for training on E-Pro, and you will be contacted for a training date and time. E-Pro will simplify and replace the paper processes currently in place with the 115 approval. If you are interested in assisting with the implementation, please contact us at ISDProcurementManager@omes.ok.gov.
Numbering Scheme for IT Contracts
To enable agencies to determine a regular statewide contract from an information technology statewide contract, the new IT statewide contracts will begin with ITSW, e.g. the old SW207 is now ITSW0207.
CIO Review of IT and Telecommunication Procurement
Please remember that all procurement, including solicitations, must be reviewed and approved by the CIO’s office prior to release. Once the initial or pre-approval has been received, it is not necessary to resubmit to the CIO’s office for a second approval before award unless the specifications or price has changed.
Questions Regarding Plan Reviews
All inquiries on statuses of plans, or questions related to the IT and Telecom Plan must be forwarded to the OSF Service Desk at helpdesk@omes.ok.gov. We are required to log and track all communications for consistency and efficient problem resolution. If you contact us directly you will be advised to contact the service desk.
New PeopleSoft Feature for Statewide Exceptions
All purchases that require an exception to a mandatory statewide contract should be flagged in PeopleSoft. This can be located within PeopleSoft > Purchasing > Purchase Orders > Add/Update POs.
Check the SS/SW Exception box and then underline SS/SW Type, select TYP9. The drop-down box states this is a “Statewide Exception.” Please note this is very important to maintain accurate records. If you would like to run a query on the exceptions to statewide contracts your agency has taken, the query is OCP_PO_STATEWIDE_EXCEPTION.
ISD Procurement and Business Segment Director Approvals of IT and Telecom Purchases
The standard turnaround time for procurement is still 1-2 business days. In addition, our business segment directors are also reviewing purchases for consolidation, statewide initiatives and standardization purposes. This has resulted in additional processing time on our part. However, our goal is a 5-business day turnaround time for approvals. If we exceed this timeframe, please contact the OSF Service Desk at helpdesk@omes.ok.gov. When E-Pro is implemented, agencies will be able to review the status within PeopleSoft.
If ISD is responsible for the procurement in addition to approval, our goal for change orders is 3 days from the date of approval by the business segment director. Proposal times vary depending on additional information or requirements, complexity of specifications, etc. With the coming of renewals and all of the changes we have recently undergone, work completed by ISD Procurement will be prioritized, and we will work with you to communicate realistic expectations.
Renewals and Daily Procurement Needs
The implementation of e-pro requisition workflow should accommodate the review process and audit trail more efficiently. However, please be as proactive as possible when planning purchases and renewals. Acquisitions with complex specifications and renewals should be submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to the start of the contract period. If there is a delay in review which results in a delay to an agency specific contract renewal, we recommend that you document your file with a “Notice of Delay.” This might read as follows: “This renewal was delayed beyond 30 days due to legislative requirements that the CIO review all IT procurement.”
Sole Source Acquisitions
Sole source IT procurement must include a documented justification as to why it is needed. The sole source form should be completed fully and properly. You may be asked to further explain and justify your request for sole source procurement, if needed. The CIO’s office is looking to reduce sole source IT procurement and increase best value competitively bid procurement.
GSA Purchases
GSA IT purchases must be approved by the CIO’s office. OSF would expect to see an open market quote in addition to the GSA quote. Once approved by the CIO’s office, GSA acquisitions will be returned to the agency for completion. If the procurement is for a commodity type of purchase, the CIO’s office will most likely approve the purchase. If the purchase is for a more complex, non-commodity purchase, we may require you to competitively bid the purchase. You will be advised after reviewing.
Gartner Reviews
ISD Procurement has a contract with Gartner to review various aspects of IT procurement. All procurement in excess of $500,000.00 will be reviewed by Gartner for recommendations on terms, pricing, best value or other factors.
Procurement Wiki
ISD is launching a procurement wiki due to legislative requirements under HB 1086. The procurement wiki will eventually provide vendors with a means of two-way communication with IT Procurement personnel. The URL for the up and coming procurement wiki is: https://wiki.ok.gov/display/itprocurement/.
IT Purchase Requests Outside an Agency’s Threshold
If your agency is requesting authority to purchase IT outside of its purchasing threshold, in accordance with OAC 580:16-7-17, your request should be sent to the CIO’s office at purchasing@omes.ok.gov.
Future Communication
If there is something that you feel would be useful for us to communicate in the form of the next ITPIM, please advise us. We value and appreciate your feedback. Please address your issues to ISDProcurementManager@omes.ok.gov.
For more information, visit http://www.ok.gov/cio/documents/ITPIM-04.pdf