Procurement Month 2019
March is Procurement Month! If you are reading this article, you are somehow connected to procurement. Maybe you are a purchasing professional within a local government organization? Maybe you’re a vendor looking to do business with government agencies? Or maybe you’re just a tax-paying citizen. Regardless of which situation applies, you do play a role in the procurement process. So, what exactly is Procurement Month and how does having a month dedicated to procurement help the profession and process?
What is Procurement Month?
Procurement Month is a month to celebrate the profession of procurement and all the skills and hard work that purchasing professionals bring to an organization and the community at large. According to NIGP, the Institute for Public Procurement, “When we celebrate Procurement Month, we acknowledge an elite group of professionals that have made a difference in governmental efficiency and effectiveness. This month provides the opportunity to help educate elected officials, administrators, taxpayers and vendors about the procurement process and the admirable work you perform every day.”
Local government procurement offices throughout the country are hopefully receiving donuts, a luncheon, and a “thank you for all that you do” from the other departments within their organization this month. In addition, association chapters such as NIGP and NASPO are honoring their procurement members with special activities and meetings to honor the profession.
In addition to a bit of a celebration in the office or at a local meeting, hopefully many professionals working in public purchasing can also take this month to share with others what the role and importance of procurement is in order to help educate other departments and the public.
Helping the profession and purchasing process
You may ask, how does having this month dedicated to the procurement profession actually help the field and its work? The answer is awareness and education. Many people within local government organizations rely on the purchasing department and its policies without giving the process much, if any, thought at all. Taxpayers are even less likely to think about the process, but are often the most interested in where money is being spent. While they may not know the ins-and-outs of the procurement process, they have a right to know that their money is being spent in a fair and honest way. Procurement Month is a great opportunity to explain to taxpayer’s what an organization’s procurement process looks like, and how purchasing professionals ensure a fair and transparent purchasing process that makes the most of their hard earned tax dollars.
Procurement Month is much more than just a chance say “job well done” to your colleagues, buyers, or purchasing professionals you meet at celebratory events. It is a time to acknowledge the profession as a whole, and educate other departments and the local community of vendors and taxpayers about what purchasing policies exist and why they help the organization. The more government peers, vendors and taxpayers know about the process and dedication of procurement, the better the purchasing process can become.
Happy Procurement Month to all public purchasing professionals!
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