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STATE AGENCY RECOGNITION AWARDS 2003
| State Agency: |
Department of Corrections, Folsom State Prison |
| Title of Nomination: |
PRESENTATION -HOW TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESSES IN THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS AND SERVICES - FOLSOM STATE PRISON'S WAY |
| Award Recipient: |
Tess Poling |
| Contact Person: |
Tess Poling |
| Mailing Address: |
Folsom State Prison, Procurement Office, P.O.Box 71, Represa, CA 95671 |
| Phone: |
(916) 985-2561 Ext. 4213 |
| Fax: |
(916) 351-3006 |
| Email: |
fsp-proc@pacbell.net | Person to be notified of winner: Max Lemon, Associate Warden - Business Services
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Prepared a power-point presentation on "How to Increase Participation of Small Businesses and Disabled Veteran Businesses in the Procurement of Goods and Services" at the two-day 2002 Procurement Officers Training Seminar attended by all Dept. of Corrections procurement officers, their staff and advocates. The purpose is to I) increase awareness of staff on various ways to achieve the SB/DV goals 2) encourage staff that it can be done 3) the major impact and buying power of CDC on the State's economy using SB/DV s.
The presentation outlines the practices adopted to achieve the goal. These are I) training of staff 2) creation of target suppliers bidders list 3) sources for vendors 4) the screening process of certified vendors 5) recipients of bidders list 6) bid policy change 7) quarterly SB/DV report to management and staff 8) outreach effort 9) educating vendors on products and connecting them to sources 10) certificate of recognition issued quarterly to staff who awarded the highest dollar amount to SB/DV vendors 11) a successful award.
The presentation was an overwhelming success. The positive feedback written in the seminar evaluations, the number of requests received for copies of the training plan and bidders list, and feedback from vendors who received bid solicitation and awards, have contributed toward .increased participation of SB/DV vendors.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Implementation date: May 16, 2002
Delivered a presentation at the CDC 2002 Procurement Officers Training to increase awareness of all purchasing staff and advocates on ways to enhance and improve participation of SB/DV vendors in contracting activities.
HOW DID THE PROJECT IMPROVE SB/DV PARTICIPATION?
The presentation increased the awareness of procurement officers on ways to enhance and improve the participation of SB/DV. Here are the contributing factors:
Invitation by the CDC SB/DV main advocate to have advocates from the field Oocal prisons to share their practices and be presenters during the SB/DV segment of the seminar (each prison has a designated SB/DV advocate )
Management approval of participation by the advocate at the procurement training.
Cooperation by the prison In-Service Training staff in designing a power-point presentation.
Cooperation by the Television Specialist by taking pictures of recycled content product, installed and in use and those purchased from SB/DV vendors. The pictures were merged by IST into the power point presentation. Samples were shown during presentation.
The presentation outlines the practices adopted to achieve the goal. These are:
- training of staff -provided one-on-one, on site, or in a classroom
- creation of a target suppliers bidders list for small and disabled veterans vendors. There are three bidders lists 1) small 2) disabled veteran 3) SB/DV's that carry recycled content products. The lists are custom-made to contain only those vendors that supply items normally bought by prisons
- sources for vendors - incoming mail, phone calls, trade shows, other staff, internet, other vendors, outreach effort, bid solicitations
- the screening process of certified vendors (so that our list only contain vendors that we can use) i.e. interview, requests sent to vendors for product line, specialty, availability of recycled content products, catalog
- recipients of the bidders list - purchasing staff, other prisons, other state agencies, vendors
- bid policy change - tightened the required number of bids to enhance bid solicitations from SB/DV.
- Limit local purchase to $15,000 even though the delegation is for $25,000;
- Up to $5,000 one bid from a SB or DV;
- Over 1000, two bids, one bid must be from SB/DV;
- Over $15,000, two bids must be from SB or DV
- Quarterly SB/DV report to management and staff
- outreach effort - educating vendors on products and connecting them to sources
- certificate of recognition issued quarterly to staff who awarded the highest dollar amount to SB/DV vendors.
Results: Diskette copies of the bidders list and training plan were distributed at the seminar. Purchasing staff left their business cards for requested materials. Most requests were for the
SB/DV bidders lists. These were forwarded by email, by mail, or on a disk. Other prisons requested an updated list to be sent to them on an ongoing basis.
Vendors: Feedback received from vendors that they started getting inquiries from other prisons, bid solicitations and awards.
WHAT WORKED AND DID NOT WORK? None
WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENT? Encourage more presentations from other prisons that have a program in place.
HOW OTHER AGENCIES COULD MODIFY THE IDEA TO MAKE IT WORK FOR THEM?
For agencies that have decentralized purchasing process, the small business advocate can include this presentation in the Procurement Training Plan for all department buyers. Training can be provided on-site at each department during their weekly meetings. Training and dissemination of useful information can be done via a quarterly bulletin to all buyers by mail or email. Custom-made bidders list can be available on the web of the department. The Training Plan can be included in the Individual Development Plan for buyers' positions.
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