Announcements​

The Office of Procurement works in collaboration with County Departments to properly administer nearly 2,600 contracts annually. These contracts are executed and managed in a manner that adheres to County code and regulations, however for instances where a contract action falls outside of the standard procurement process, a committee review of the action is required.

The Contract Review Committee (CRC) was established by regulation to facilitate the review and evaluation of these actions, which are held weekly in an open and public forum. These weekly CRC meetings allow County employees and the public to observe and participate in meetings where contract decisions are made. This transparency enables participants to understand the reasoning behind decisions and assess information considered by decision-makers.

In 2023, a new bill introduced additional requirements for organizations holding open meetings, in addition to those already specified in the state’s Open Meetings Act. These additional mandates prompted the Office of Procurement to revise and streamline the existing, manual, and outdated CRC meeting process. Aligning with our commitment to fostering a customer service-oriented environment and ensuring legal compliance, the Office of Procurement introduced the Contract Review Committee (CRC) Request application.

In Montgomery County, Maryland (among the most diverse in the nation), the Office of Procurement’s Division of Business Relations and Compliance, led by Grace Denno, convenes a quarterly Procurement Compliance Forum for procurement and compliance professionals across Maryland. The Forum emerged in response the lack of spaces for sharing best practices.

The Forum offers procurement compliance professionals opportunities to:

• Learn how jurisdictions across the region are implementing, setting goals, and measuring results of policies designed to create economic opportunities for local, small, minority, female, and disabled-owned businesses (MFD) preference programs.

• Learn how jurisdictions are managing compliance for prevailing wage and living wage policies in government procurement.

• Share strategies for public education, outreach, and engagement to raise awareness and get feedback on the barriers that disadvantaged vendors face in the marketplace and increase their participation in the region’s government procurement opportunities.

• Consider appropriate procurement benchmarks and performance measures. The Forum is a place for exchange of ideas, coordination, and collaboration around strategies to expand inclusion, equity, and diversity in procurement, and offers space for procurement compliance professionals to problem-solve.

Feedback has been positive, and participation continues to grow. Procurement professionals from six Maryland counties, two municipalities, four state agencies/offices and a regional water utility regularly participate.

Ensuring responsible management of taxpayer dollars is a core duty of government entities, particularly regarding public procurement. Taxpayer funds represent the combined contributions of citizens, underscoring the importance of their efficient and effective utilization. By prioritizing prudent spending practices, governments can maximize the value derived from each dollar spent, ensuring that public services are delivered in the most cost-effective manner possible. This not only benefits taxpayers directly by minimizing waste and unnecessary expenditures but also enables governments to allocate resources towards important priorities such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and public safety.

The Office of Procurement is committed to conducting government activities in line with core principles such as openness, transparency, and due process. This commitment holds particular significance in the context of emergency procurement, where there is an urgent need to quickly acquire goods and services to safeguard public safety and well-being.

Emergency procurement procedures typically involve simplified processes and expedited timelines compared to regular procurement methods to ensure prompt delivery and utilization of critical resources. Nonetheless, it remains imperative for emergency procurement practices to uphold standards of transparency and accountability to prevent mismanagement of public funds and guarantee the procurement of goods and services that meet essential quality criteria.

For more information on the National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards, please visit their website.

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