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Document
Establishing an Effective Supplier Diversity Program
Year Created: 2022
DOCUMENT
POL - Purchasing Manual 2007
- YEAR CREATED: 2007
- ENTITY TYPE: County
- TYPE OF DOCUMENT: POL - Policies/Procedures
- Management
- Policies and Procedures
This document is a Procurement Procedure Manual that outlines the policies and procedures for purchasing goods and services for a County. The manual covers various aspects of the procurement process, including soliciting quotations, petty cash expenditures, inventory supplies, emergency purchases, sole source purchases, professional services, computer hardware and software purchases, funds not appropriated or available, contracts, and change orders.
According to the manual, the user department is required to obtain three to five written quotations for open market requests, which can be solicited through various means such as email, mail, telephone, facsimile, or catalogs. The department must include these quotations when entering the requisition for open market requests.
Emergency purchases are defined as situations that pose imminent danger to public health or safety or result in the loss of an essential governmental service. In such cases, formal competitive bidding procedures can be suspended to rectify the emergency. The Procurement Manager and/or Management Services Director have the authority to make emergency purchases, and the affected Division Director(s) must report such purchases to the Procurement Manager promptly.
Sole source purchases are those made when there is only one source for the required supply, service, or construction item. Before making a determination of sole source, research must be conducted to ensure that no other products or service providers exist. Sole source procurement should only be used when it is the only option and not as a means to favor a particular service provider or product.
The manual also covers the procurement of professional services, which includes services provided by registered individuals or firms with a valid State of Georgia license. Requests for proposals may be issued for professional services, and an Evaluation Panel comprised of county staff will consider various evaluation criteria when reviewing and ranking the proposals. The highest ranked provider must be approved by the appropriate Oversight Committee before being submitted to the full Board of Commissioners for approval.
The document also provides guidelines for purchasing computer hardware and software, including the requirement for review by the IT Department to ensure compatibility with the County's equipment and network system. All software must be registered in the name of the County, and no reimbursement will be made for unapproved purchases.
In cases where funds are not available in the current fiscal year budget, the purchase order will be held until a budget transfer is approved. The responsibility for initiating additional funds rests with the user department, and budget transfer requests must be completed and forwarded for approval.
The manual also addresses change orders, which are defined as alterations to an existing contract. Change orders may be initiated by the user department or the contractor, and they must be approved by the Procurement Manager or the Management Services Director. Change orders that exceed a certain threshold must be approved by the Board of Commissioners.
Lease-purchase agreements, long-term leases, and contracts require approval from the Board. However, short-term lease agreements, routine maintenance or service agreements, and other identified items may be signed by the department manager without Board approval.