https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Procurement


Commentary

Knowing value when you see it

Knowing value when you see it

It's time to look at the future of our profession and train those who follow us to do more and do it better.
  • Written by American City & County Administrator
  • 1st December 2012

For the better part of my purchasing career, I tried to strike a balance between best value and good service. I would purchase goods from authorized distributors, contract for repairs of operating equipment from manufacturer-authorized repair facilities and generally follow what I considered good purchasing practices. There's the rub: It was what my organization and I considered good practices.

When it came to defining service and value, we were proud of our use of concepts such as honesty, fairness, integrity and the like but found them difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. We would use adjectives such as excellent, very good, good, fair and poor to evaluate a bidder's proposal. We tried to assign a numerical rating to each and add up the scores. We Buyers love numbers – the larger the number, the more points, thus the better Proposer. But that's not always true. A numerical rating system, while apparently precise, can obscure the strengths, weaknesses and risks of a Proposer.

At times we would ask for a narrative to be used in conjunction with a rating to assess qualifications. We thought it would provide a reasonable and rational basis for determining a Proposer. But how could I determine deficiencies or weaknesses based on the Proposer's own language? Being concerned with words my entire life, how do I know if a less-qualified Proposer just has someone on staff who is a better writer than a more-qualified Proposer?

I had a sinking feeling and didn't know if I was making a best judgment or a colossal mistake about a Proposer (which I couldn't define). It's almost like using the standard set by Justice Potter Stewart when ruling on a completely unrelated subject: “I know it when I see it.” But the feeling remained with me.

The key here is, after reviewing the facts, “I know it when I see it” is a standard best applied by professionals. Based on our experience, knowledge, research and intangibles we can't define at times, we make a best judgment on a Proposal or a service. But what happens if our judgment backfires, or worse yet, it's a completely bad decision? I think that's why we have Committees who make these judgments and a management structure that can approve or change our decisions.

How do we train the next generation of Professionals to do a better job at this? Yes, to do a better job! I've always felt that we should pave the way for those who follow us by setting standards. Not for them to meet, but for them to exceed!

Do we start taking this seriously by actively discussing the subject? Or do we continue to hold classes on teaching the elements of a Contract? Or hold a primer on Request for Proposals? It's time to look to the future of our profession and train those who follow us to do more and do it better. It should be our legacy. When we are in the Old Buyer's Home drinking our afternoon tea and talking about our successes, the new Buyers should come and visit, pat us on the head, smile, and tell us how they exceeded our standards and expectations.

Frederick Marks, CPPO, VCO, is a retired purchasing officer who has held positions as a supervising buyer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as well as director of material management for Northern Virginia Community College. Contact Marks at [email protected].

Tags: Procurement Commentary

Most Recent


  • materials
    Public buyers have several options to keep problem materials out of the waste stream
    Cities and counties are taking multiple steps towards sustainability, says Curran Hughes, co-founder and president of Renegade Plastics, a fabric product manufacturer that offers an alternative to PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-coated fabrics. Its low carbon coated fabrics curtail plastic waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the company. “Local governments are doing a nice job […]
  • environmental
    Seasons change: Addressing environmental issues takes many forms
    With extreme temperatures, increasing natural disasters and seasonal changes that are no longer predictable, environmental concerns are growing across the world. As a result, government and educational institutions, through their political bodies and leadership, are now mandating and prioritizing sustainability for their communities. The measures being taken, and goals being met, take many forms to […]
  • federal grants
    Best laid plans: Here are a few steps cities and counties should take when a federal grant comes their way
    Part 1 of this report on managing federal grants and funds appeared in the June 2023 issue of Government Procurement. In recent years, Congress has approved legislation giving local governments access to new sources of federal grants and funds. The laws include: American Rescue Plan Act (APRA), Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), […]
  • sustainability
    5 ways procurement can lead on government sustainability
    A seat at the table.” “No longer a back-office function.” “Purchasing is tactical, procurement is strategic.” You can’t spend a day diving into the world of public sector procurement without running headlong into this sentiment. Conference keynotes, webinars, certification curricula and more have been dedicated to advancing the premise that procurement is at its best […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Public procurement can be transformative for stakeholders in a community
  • The pandemic has led to big adjustments in procurement staffing in governments
  • Adapting procurement priorities for a post-COVID environment
  • IT infrastructure in government is getting a post-pandemic makeover

White papers


7 Resources to Level-up Your Federal Grants Administration and Compliance

5th September 2023

Elevator Phone Line Replacement Strategy | A Guide to Reliable, Code-Compliant Solutions

29th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing Report: The Bright Future of Public Procurement

23rd August 2023
view all

Webinars


Grant Preparedness: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Success

10th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing: Taking Local Governments into a Bright Future

1st August 2023

Stop Playing with Fire: How to Manage Infrastructure Asset Risk So You Know You’re Covered

20th June 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Hottest temperatures recorded in American cities during July

12th September 2023

The top 10 Asthma Capitals for 2023

7th September 2023

U.S. cities with the cleanest air from latest “State of the Air” report

5th September 2023
view all

Twitter


Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.