Section 36-2-10-210.1-2 - Expectations of ITS Procurement Staff2.1 ITS considers public employment to be a public trust and expects each ITS employee, including but not limited to those involved in the procurement process, to exhibit the highest standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality, courtesy and ethical conduct in all actions and decisions. 2.2 ITS procurement staff will work professionally, cooperatively, and respectfully with ITS customers and with prospective and incumbent vendors. 2.3 ITS procurement staff will manage procurements fairly and in a transparent manner, adhering to all statutes, policies, and rules. 2.4 ITS management will promote and foster the highest standards of professional competence and knowledge for all personnel involved in the procurement process. 2.5 ITS procurement staff will seek to work as efficiently as possible while producing a quality product that meets the objectives of the State of Mississippi, minimizing delays and costs for both vendors and customers. 2.6 ITS procurement staff will work with the customer and, if applicable, the vendor community, to develop responsible and realistic project schedules and then to ensure commitments are fulfilled in a timely manner to meet published procurement schedules. 2.7 ITS procurement staff will protect confidential and proprietary information throughout the procurement process. 2.8 ITS procurement staff will not solicit or accept gifts, gratuities, loans, offers of employment, or anything else of monetary value from a vendor. 2.9 ITS procurement staff will identify any procurement situation which creates a potential conflict of interest or appearance of such conflict for the staff member. ITS management will take measures to appropriately mitigate the conflict. Conflict of interest is defined as any personal interest, directly or indirectly, through business, family, friend, or other associations, that may influence or may reasonably appear to others to influence a person's judgment and impartiality, in any matter relevant to that person's duties. 36 Miss. Code. R. § 2-10-210.1-2