Government Procurement articles from February 2008

Government Procurement archives from February 2008

Inconvenient questions? These days, it seems that everybody is trying to be green. But can government entities really make a difference by purchasing green products and services?(CABLE VISION)
February 1, 2008... Kermit the Frog lamented that "it ain't easy being green." But government agencies and departments across the nation are demonstrating that being "green" (doing the right thing for the environment) and doing the right thing for their...

Aussie maintains strong ties to the United States.(PROFILES IN PROCUREMENT)
February 1, 2008... Professor Guy Callender resides in Perth, Western Australia, where he serves as the foundation professor and chair in leadership of strategic procurement at Curtin Business School. The position was established in 2002, and Callender was a...

Former GSA employee admits she took bribes for federal contracts: in exchange for bribes, employee helped secure $130 million in contracts.(NEWS)
February 1, 2008... Dessie Ruth Nelson, a longtime employee of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), pleaded guilty to accepting more than $100,000 in bribes for her role in awarding three federal contracts worth more than $130 million. Nelson, 65,...

Ohio fleet managers told to buy compact cars: Ford Focus chosen for its price, fuel economy and ownership costs.(FLEET BEAT)
February 1, 2008... With cost and environmental impact in mind, the Buckeye State has decided to focus on the Ford Focus when purchasing new passenger sedans for state employees. The Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) in December directed state...

Alternative fuel for city fleet.(BRIEFS)
February 1, 2008... The city of Austin, Texas, recently awarded a $138 million contract to Houston-based Sun Coast Resources Inc. to provide alternative fuel for the city's fleet of vehicles and equipment. According to the city, the six-year contract secures...

Good vibrations aid police.(BRIEFS)
February 1, 2008... In Washington, D.C., 49 patrol cars recently were equipped with a new earth-shaking siren called the Rumbler. Goals of the siren system are to grab the attention of motorists and pedestrians to safely and quickly clear intersections for police...

Transits buy hybrid buses.(BRIEFS)
February 1, 2008... MTA New York City Transit and OC Transpo ordered a total of 1,052 Orion VII Next Generation diesel-electric hybrid transit buses from Greensboro, N.C.-based Daimler Buses North America, the company announced. MTA New York City Transit,...

Procurement reform rolls in to D.C.; How the district's office of contracting and procurement derailed--and how it plans to get on track.(SOURCING IN THE STATES)(Cover story)
February 1, 2008... It's not an exaggeration to say that on April 24, 2007, the eyes of the government procurement world were on Washington, D.C. That was the day that the new mayor, Adrian Fenty, announced that he was appointing David Gragan to be the district's...

Responsible purchasing 101: introductory primer teaches the fundamentals of green purchasing.(THE GREEN PURCHASER)
February 1, 2008... Over the past 30 years, responsible purchasing has been maturing on the fringes of the professional purchasing world. Within the last three to five years, however, responsible purchasing practices have become mainstream solutions, actively...

ABCs for RFPs: best-practices guidelines simplify procurement of finance and HR software.(REQUESTS FOR PROPOSAL)
February 1, 2008... Information technology (IT) is one of the top three categories on competitively priced bids and Request For Proposals (RFPs) in government buying, according to the 2007 Keating Report (GPN, January 2007, page 6), which cited a November 2006...

Don't get stung by a WASP: if management is considering the idea of a strategic sourcing initiative that includes budget cuts supported by a WASP, consider applying adoption rate as your repellent.(STRATEGIC SOURCING)
February 1, 2008... Spotlighting savings can shortchange your strategic sourcing efforts. Instead, focus on producing highly optimized best-value contracts that users champion, and trust that savings goals will fall in line. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Spend analysis strategy supports Minnesota's 'Drive to Excellence': by implementing a Web-based system that integrates procurement information, state purchasers gain insights to target savings.(SPEND MANAGEMENT)
February 1, 2008... Similar to other state governments throughout our nation, Minnesota buys a wealth of products and services. For instance, the state spends millions of dollars every year on personal computers alone. However, consolidated information about these...

The votes are in! Experts cast optimistic views about the U.S. economy and public-sector spending.(The Keating Report)
February 1, 2008... As we move toward the November 2008 elections, public officials and policy analysts are predicting a robust course for government budgets and spending. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ticket to fiscal prosperity may be marked by some...

Milestone construction project links Washington community.(The Keating Report)
February 1, 2008... On Sept. 25, 2007, the City of Renton, Wash., held a ribbon-cuttting ceremony to open Logan Avenue, the culmination of the largest public works project in the city's history. The project included construction of the Landing, a 46-acre retail...

Recreation projects surge in Tampa, Fla.(The Keating Report)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Sometime this year, the city of Tampa's Parks and Recreation Department hopes to open the New Tampa Community Park recreation center. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Programs at the center will focus on fitness, and the building will sport a...

Illinois elects to build new tollway and village hall.(The Keating Report)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A valuable community asset that took shape in 2007 and is now in full use during 2008 is the New Lenox Village Hall in New Lenox, Ill. The 43,000-square-foot facility houses the village's public works and engineering offices, cable television...

Chicago park takes form over a landfill.(The Keating Report)
February 1, 2008... Located in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, Stearns Quarry was an active limestone quarry from approximately 1830 through 1969. After 15 years of use as a landfill, the site currently is being transformed into a dynamic 27-acre park....

Window glass tints to control light and heat.(Earth-Friendly Products)
February 1, 2008... At the push of a button, electronically tintable architectural SageGlass products switch from a clear, untinted appearance to a tinted, darkened state that actively controls daylight and minimizes solar heat gain and glare while maintaining the...

Electric scooter saves big over gasoline models.(Earth-Friendly Products)
February 1, 2008... Emission-free, low-noise Vectrix scooter boasts a top speed of 62 mph (accelerating from 0-50 mph in 6.8 seconds) and a cruising range of 55 miles on a single charge (at average speed of 25 mph) at 1/10 the cost of gasoline. Features a low...

Water cooler delivers purified water without plastic bottle waste.(Earth-Friendly Products)
February 1, 2008... Point-of-Use (POU) Water Cooler water purification system uses standard municipal tap water to provide filtered, oxygenated water that is purified from all bacteria, parasites and viruses. Activated Oxygen Injection purifies faster than...

U.S. Marine Corps orders LED lights for military shelters.(CONTRACTS)
February 1, 2008... After a competitive bidding process launched by the U.S. Marine Corps, Dialight Corp., based in Farmingdale, N.J., received a major order for its newly developed high-intensity LED lights for military shelters. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Federal agencies buy into charge-card services.(CONTRACTS)
February 1, 2008... Under a master contract established by the U.S. General Services Administration's SmartPay 2 program, New York-based JPMorgan Chase & Co. will provide various charge-card services to two federal departments. The U.S. Department of the...

Golden State will advance motor-vehicle IT upgrades.(CONTRACTS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has awarded a $76 million, six-year contract to Plano, Texas-based EDS to assist in modernizing the department's IT applications and infrastructure. Under the California DMV's Information...

Maryland county signs on to integrate public safety.(CONTRACTS)
February 1, 2008... Officials in Anne Arundel County, Md., signed a $6.6 million contract to acquire a communications and records management system from Tiburon Inc., a subsidiary of Annapolis, Md.-based CompuDyne Corp. Designed to integrate functions for law...

Partnership reduces electricity costs for Pennsylvania taxpayers.(GREEN NEWS)
February 1, 2008... The city of Pittsburgh and the county of Allegheny, Pa., have made a joint electricity purchase that local officials estimate will save taxpayers $1.4 million over the next two years while doubling the area's renewable energy commitment. ...

Federal agencies required to buy green computers.(GREEN NEWS)
February 1, 2008... An interim final rule requires federal agencies to purchase environmentally friendly computers and accessories. The interim rule amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require federal agencies to purchase only desktop computers,...

Green mandates in Louisiana.(BRIEFS)
February 1, 2008... Reducing solid waste and establishing fuel-economy goals for state vehicles are among the mandates laid out in Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's "Green Government" order. The order calls for the state Division of Administration to review its...

No electronic waste in N.J.(BRIEFS)
February 1, 2008... New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has signed a new law prohibiting televisions, computers, cell phones and other electronic devices from the state's garbage cans and landfills after Jan. 1, 2009. According to proponents, the new law will make it as...

LEED status for campus.(BRIEFS)(Ohlone College Newark Center for Health Sciences and Technology to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Ohlone College Newark Center for Health Sciences and Technology, a new environmentally conscious campus in Newark, Calif., is on track to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification from the U.S....

It's time for a credibility check: credibility plays an important role in how you do business, how you interact with others and how stakeholders measure your effectiveness.(MARKS ON CREDIBILITY)
February 1, 2008... What is your "CQ" (credibility quotient)? Have you ever given any thought to how credible you are within your organization and in your professional life? Credibility plays an important role in how you do business, how you interact with others...