For the second time, the College of the Canyons Contracts, Procurement, and Risk Management department received a 2022 Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement award from the National Procurement Institute, Inc.

The department—which was among this year’s 171 successful applicants from across the nation—received the prestigious award in July 2022.

“We are honored to have been recognized for the second time by the National Procurement Institute,” said April Graham, CPRM director at the college. “Our department’s success is made possible through our teamwork approach and dedication to adhering to the highest standards for professionalism.”

The award’s application process is designed to encourage procurement professionals to go beyond the minimum requirements set yearly by AEP sponsors and to recognize innovative programs and solutions that demonstrate outstanding achievements.

The application process required submission of narratives clearly explaining and demonstrating evidence of various best practices including:

Procurement ethics

Electronic procurement manual

Professional development program

Surveys of internal customers and external vendors

Internal customer training

Formal vendor training

Performance measures

Centralized procurement authority

Online electronic vendor registration

Internal procurement automation

Online surplus auction system

Staff member bachelor degrees

Participation as a presenter on a procurement topic at a conference

Implementation of a cooperative procurement strategy

In 1995, NPI established the AEP program in order to recognize organizational excellence in public procurement.

At COC, the CPRM department ensures that the procurement of all goods and services is in accordance with the procedures set forth by the Board of Trustees, the California Public Contract Code, the California Education Code, and other applicable state laws.

The award-winning department also works to confirm that in any purchase transaction, the requirements for competition have been met, bidding and negotiation have been conducted in accordance with applicable policies, and no conduct of compromise to the public trust is present.

For more information about the college’s CPRM department, please click [here].