Purchasing Division Receives National Honor for Achievement in Excellence in Procurement

Department of Administration Acting Secretary Mary Jane Pickens announced today that the West Virginia Purchasing Division has been awarded the prestigious 21st Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) for 2016 from the National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI).

The Purchasing Division has received the AEP award from NPI for four consecutive years. The AEP award, which is the national program used to benchmark organizational excellence in procurement, is earned by public and non-profit organizations that obtain a high application score based on standardized criteria designed to measure state of the art in best practices.

The West Virginia Purchasing Divison is the only government agency in West Virginia and one of only 13 state agencies in the United States to receive this award. The AEP is awarded annually to recognize innovation, professionalism, e-Procurement, productivity, and leadership in the procurement function and encourages the development of excellence as well as continued organiztional improvement.

For 2016, there were 202 successful applicants, including 48 counties, 72 cities, 25 higher education agencies, 23 school districts, 21 special districts, and 13 state agencies.

"The Purchasing Division has demonstrated exceptionally high standards in both practice and procedure to ensure that state taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently and ethically," said Secretary Pickens. "I applaud the Division's experienced leadership and staff in their efforts to strictly adhere to the statutory requirements established by the State Legislature regarding our state government procurement procedures and to then transfer that into best practices recognized by NPI."

Founded in 1968, the NPI establishes cooperative relationships among its members and develops efficient purchasing methods and practices in the areas of governmental, educational, and institutional procurement. The mission of NPI is to facilitate the educational and professional development of its members. In 1995, the National Procurement Insititute, Inc. (NPI) established a program designed to recognize organizational excellence in public procurement. The Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) is awarded annually.

"The West Virginia Purchasing Divison works hard to cultivate a state purchasing process that ensures competency, productivity, transparency and good customer service," said Purchasing Director Dave Tincher. "Obtaining this award for four consecutive years demonstrates not only our commitment to improving our processes, but also to continually seeking ways to improve our procedures and develop best practices that guarantee that our state dollars are being used in a manner satisfactory to all."

All recipients will be recognized in October at the NPI's 48th Annual National Conference & Products Exposition and the 21st Annual Presentation of the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Awards in Colorado Springs, Colorado.