ART - HOW COOPERATIVE PURCHASING CAN WORK FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT 2012

The document discusses the benefits of cooperative purchasing for school districts. It explains that cooperative purchasing can help districts save money and simplify the buying process by streamlining procurement and reducing the costs associated with RFPs and awarding contracts. The document suggests that district purchasing officers should ask several questions to determine if cooperative purchasing is the best option for their district, such as whether their district is legally able to use a cooperative purchasing vehicle and when it makes sense to purchase through a cooperative versus issuing their own RFP. The document also addresses common misconceptions about cooperative purchasing, such as the belief that it is more efficient and cost-effective to do the contracting oneself, that using a cooperative purchasing vehicle means sidestepping state contract vehicles, and that national contracting agencies will overlook community-specific details. The document emphasizes that cooperative purchasing can save time and money, free up staff resources, and increase accuracy and efficiency in the bidding and contract management process.