ART - Ethics Essay 2008

This document is an essay submitted for a 2008 Ethics Essay Contest by Nathan Daou, a purchasing professional. The essay discusses how to deal with attempts to subvert the competitive process during times of budget crunches. The author acknowledges that lean budget years can lead to departments trying to avoid the competitive process in order to obtain the goods or services they need. The essay explores various scenarios and strategies for handling them. These scenarios include breaking purchases into separate requisitions, claiming a lack of time for a competitive process, and using the threat to public safety as a justification. The author emphasizes the importance of educating customers on the requirements for competition and offering creative options to meet their needs while still complying with procurement policies. The essay concludes by highlighting the need for buyers to be vigilant against attempts to subvert the competitive process and establish themselves as partners to their customers.