36 Miss. Code. R. 2-5-205.2
Instructions for Preparing and Submitting a Procurement Request
Overview
Requested Information: General/Competitive Procurement
Additional Information: Cooperative Purchasing Supplement
Additional Information: Sole Source Certifications
Additional Information: Emergency Purchase Requests
Additional Information: Exemption Requests
Additional Information: Revision Requests
Additional Information: Planned Purchase Requests
OVERVIEW
Requests for the procurement of information technology hardware, equipment, systems, software or services by agencies or public universities under the purview of ITS may be submitted to ITS via the On-line Procurement Requests System or by faxing, mailing, or emailing the applicable request form.
The On-line Procurement Requests system is accessed from the ITS website under the "Procurement" link on the top of the home page, selecting " On-line Procurement Requests." State employees should use their ACE user id and password to log in. Staff at IHLs, local governments, or other entities that do not use the ACE applications should contact the ITS Procurement Help Desk at (601) 432-8166 to obtain a user id.
Customers who do not use the On-line Procurement Requests System will find the forms needed for submitting a request under the "Procurement" link on the top of the ITS home page, by selecting Procurement Request Forms. All forms are available in PDF or Word format.
Note: The ITS procurement function occasionally has a queue of projects that have been submitted and are waiting assignment to the ITS Technology Consultant who will conduct or process the procurement request. ITS encourages customers to send in requests as early as possible to help ensure the products or services being procured are available when needed. Customers do not have to complete every item on the procurement request form prior to submitting a procurement. It is preferable to submit partial information than to hold the request for additional research and jeopardize the procurement schedule. Customers are encouraged to include the Agency IT Planning Project Name and Number that contains documentation related to the procurement request.
Each Procurement Request form consolidates the basic information ITS needs to manage and track your request through the ITS procurement process and allows detailed information concerning the procurement to be attached. Include all the information about your agency or public university requested on the form, including project contact name, phone, hand mail or mailing address, fax number, and email address. It is also important that you assign a Project Title to each request that ITS can use to reference your project in our communications with you. Most other fields on the form are not required for initial submission of a request. The more information you provide, however, the more quickly and easily your request can be processed once assigned.
ITS will need detailed background information about the needs to be met by this acquisition. ITS procurement personnel must fully comprehend what you are trying to accomplish with this acquisition to determine the best way to meet your needs. Detail as much as you know at the time of submitting the request. Your assigned Technology Consultant will work with you during the procurement process to obtain any additional information required.
The request form asks for information concerning alternative solutions and functional specifications for the acquisition. If you have researched and documented alternatives and specifications, include these details in your request. ITS can expedite procurement requests that are submitted with complete, correct, and specific background, alternatives, and specification information. However, as with other information requested on the forms, ITS staff will be glad to work with you to research alternatives and develop functional specifications for items to most appropriately meet your needs.
Agencies presenting to the ITS Board for approval of procurements must have the following:
* A current IT Security Risk Assessment from a third-party security consultant. For more information, please visit the Information Security page of the ITS Website at http://www.its.ms.gov/Services/Pages/services security.aspx.
* A completed Business Case on the project detailing the scope, lifecycle cost, and return on investment of the procurement. To assist agencies in preparing a Business Case, documentation and forms are located on the Agency Planning Page of the ITS website at http://www.its.ms.gov/Services/Pages/Agency-IT-Planning.aspx.
The information listed below further defines the information to be provided on the various request forms. Call the ITS Help Desk at (601) 432-8166 if you have additional questions when filling out the forms.
REQUESTED INFORMATION: GENERAL
The following items are generally applicable across multiple request types.
Project Title - The project name used by the customer agency when referencing the project (up to 40 characters) that uniquely identifies a procurement request for the customer.
Stimulus (ARRA) Funds? - Mark "Yes" or "No" as to whether or not the project is ARRA-funded.
Customer Contact Information:
Agency/Institution-The full name of the agency or institution submitting the request.
Address-The complete address for the contact person listed below as the project contact. This may be a HANDMAIL address or a U.S. postal address.
Contact Person-The name and title of the individual whom ITS can contact should additional information be needed. This person should be involved in the preparation of the request and completely familiar with the background, requirements, project schedule, etc.
Phone-The telephone number of the contact person.
Fax-The fax number of the contact person.
E-mailaddress-The e-mail address of the of the contact person
MAGIC Customer Number Code (state agencies only)-to make sure that invoices for ITS procurement services are addressed and routed correctly to your agency
Division/Department-The department(s) and subdepartment(s) that will use the requested equipment or services.
Handmail-Mark "Yes" if the address listed in item is a handmail address for delivery by DFA's Office of Capitol Facilities. Mark "No" if the address listed is a postal address.
Project Summary:
Narrative Description of Project - Provide an overview of the project:
* What is being procured
* What business needs the product or services will meet
* Any applicable statutory mandates
* Is this a new function, replacement of current automation, automation of a manual function
ITS Acquisition Approval (CP-1) should be effective through this date-Date through which the requesting agency will need to pay vendor invoices. For example, if you anticipate that a software system will be implemented by December 31, 2013, and you will pay monthly hosting fees for three years beginning with implementation, the CP-1 must be in effect long enough after December 31, 2016 to allow payment of the final vendor invoice. Forty-five to sixty days after the anticipated completion of a project is a good rule-of-thumb in assigning this date.
Cost Estimates-This section of the request form is designed to capture your best estimates of one-time and recurring costs for the lifecycle of the project. Costs should be broken out by state fiscal year, for the lifecycle of the project. Note: These estimates should include total project costs to be paid to outside vendors for new hardware, software, and services, and do not include internal agency costs such as staff, floor space, and existing hardware.
Time Constraints:
Item Needed by-Date by which you need the requested equipment or software delivered or services to begin.
Funds Expire-Date funds expire, for state or federal funding year, grant end date, or other time-related funding constraints.
Discuss Funding-
* How much of total anticipated funding needed for the project is actually available at this time?
* What is your total project budget (external and internal)?
* What is the percent of federal matching funds, if applicable?
* Are there other funds that are not general fund monies?
* From what fund number will the payments be made?
Anticipated Lifecycle of Products/System (i.e. estimate years effective use)-
* How long do you anticipate using the product to be acquired before replacing?
* What types of upgrade options are needed?
* How long do you plan to pay maintenance/support?
* What do you anticipate the term of the initial contract will be
* What renewal options are desirable (i.e. number of renewals and length of each optional renewal term)
Acquisition Details:
Items Requested - Depending on what is being requested, you may either (1) detail the requested items on the form or (2) attach specifications. If detailing the items on the form, list the name, quantity, description, and building location(s) of the items being requested. Include the estimated dollar amount of each item or service. If more space is needed, you may include an itemized attachment. If you itemize on an attachment, be sure to summarize the acquisition in the space provided and reference the attachment. If attaching specifications, furnish as much of the information outlined below as practical and applicable. Remember: State law requires that procurements of information technology be open and competitive. ITS is prohibited by statute from issuing specifications that limit competition when there are multiple products available to meet your business needs. We are committed to working with you to develop the best possible specifications both to ensure your objectives are achieved and to protect you via a legal and defensible procurement.
*Initial minimum functional specifications-Based upon your agency or public university's initial needs, define in as much detail as possible what your minimum requirements are for the item(s) you are requesting. Outline those requirements you consider mandatory. Do not simply list specifications from a vendor's technical sheet. Instead, define those functions that correlate with your business needs. Where specifications are restrictive, be particularly specific as to why the requirements are necessary to meet your needs. If the item(s) requested must be compatible with existing equipment or interface with current applications, describe the equipment and applications currently in place. For application software, are you seeking a COTS solution or custom development? How much customization of an existing package is acceptable? Note: The preferred format for detailed requirements is bulleted or paragraph form in a Word document. Do not insert the specifications into an ITS RFP or LOC template or develop an RFP or LOC document, as our templates change frequently and this step will create extra work for you as our customer.
*Training, documentation, implementation, and related services-In addition to the functional requirements for equipment or software, what services will be needed for the vendor during implementation? What are training requirements (number of staff, level of training, location of training, classroom versus online, etc.)?
*Maintenance and support requirements-Selection of lowest and best proposal in many instances is determined by the maintenance and support a vendor can offer on the item(s) he sells. Define what maintenance arrangement you deem most acceptable for the item(s) requested.
Describe platform and infrastructure-Provide relevant information depending on what is being procured:
* What voice/data/video network connectivity will be needed
* Provide information on transaction size, volume
* Describe utilization of State Data Center resources:
* Mainframe
* Government portal
* Payment engine
* Document management
* Hosting
* Describe security requirements based on classification of data and how these requirements will be met
* What database and programming language will be used
* Will any additional hardware, software, personnel be required at your agency (beyond what is included on this request)
ITS Statute and the ITS Board require that systems for state agencies be hosted at the State Data Center by default. If requesting approval for equipment to be located outside the State Data Center, provide justification. If requesting approval for hosting to be provided by other than the State Data Center, provide justification.
Progress to date-What has been done related to this project, including any communication with ITS staff (data/voice/procurement/other)? Your assigned project manager can process your request most effectively if he/she is aware of any decisions that have been made or information that has been obtained to date. If applicable, provide names and phone numbers of contacts within ITS or within the requesting organization who can provide additional information.
Vendors Contacted: Attach written estimates or other information received from vendors - Provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of vendors whom you have talked with regarding the procurement. Provide copies of any vendor proposals, configurations, recommendations, or literature you have received on the item(s) being requested.
Critical Factor(s) (in the selection of a vendor/brand/solution for this acquisition)-Section 25-53-5 of the ITS law specifies that acquisitions be made from the lowest and best proposal. Many factors can be considered in determining the lowest and best proposal. If selection of the proposal and products to meet your agency/public university's needs should be based on criteria in addition to price, you should furnish a listing of criteria upon which your agency/ public university believes the selection of "lowest and best" proposal should be based and the priority of each criterion. Discuss any manufacturer standards in place that were established in compliance with ITS policy. What are the most critical functional or technical requirements from your agency's perspective? Discuss budget/cost constraints.
Acknowledgement of procurement costs - Since ITS does not receive funding for the procurement function, we must bill for the time spent performing procurement-related tasks. This billing is done on a monthly basis for hours expended during the prior month and continues until the procurement project is closed. For larger procurement projects or for smaller projects that span more than one month, you will receive multiple bills for services for a given procurement. When proposals must be solicited for an acquisition, the requesting agency/ public university is responsible for the costs of the required advertisements in The Clarion Ledger. Advertising charges and procurement services will be billed to the customer on the same invoice. When submitting a procurement form via mail, fax, or email, enter the name and title of the agency head, public university CIO, or designee on the line to the bottom left of the form. This person must then sign and date the request. By signing the request, the authorized individual acknowledges understanding of the procurement charges and commits the agency/public university to paying all costs incurred. In the On-Line Procurement Requests System, the acknowledgement of charges is required when the request is submitted to ITS. Note: ITS must assume that persons submitting procurement requests under their signature or via the on-line request system have been authorized to do so by their agency or public university. The customer agency must establish its own internal procedures regarding signature and procurement request authority.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SUPPLEMENT
See 011-070 Procurement Instruments: Cooperative Purchasing Agreements for additional information on cooperative purchasing.
Governmental Entity Establishing the Cooperative Agreement-Name of the specific governing body (level of government: state, local, federal; name of entity and department) or consortium (membership; type consortium) that initially established the cooperative agreement.
Name of Cooperative Agreement - Specific contract/purchase instrument reference name. Examples: GSA Schedule 70; WSCA Wireless Communication & Equipment Contract.
Contact at Sponsoring Governmental Entity - Name of person who can answer questions and provide any additional information required regarding the initial establishment and permissible use of the cooperative agreement.
Phone - Of contact
Fax - Of contract
Email Address-Of contact
Certification this cooperative agreement is available for use by the state - Requestor should obtain certification from the entity establishing the cooperative agreement, stating that the State of Mississippi may use the pricing and terms and conditions as a procurement vehicle and that the contract was awarded in an open and competitive manner. Optionally, the requestor may ask ITS to obtain this certification from the contact listed above as part of the procurement process.
Other Requirements for use of agreement - Requirements the purchaser must meet in order to use the cooperative agreement, including any necessary organizational memberships or other prerequisites.
Attach printout and/or Internet link for requested products or services, with contract pricing - Attach a printout of the page from the contract, attachment, or Internet that shows the specific products or services being procured and the associated pricing of those items.
Attach printout and/or Internet link for terms and conditions - Attach a copy of the contract, including any processes or procedures for negotiating state-specific terms and conditions as a modification or addition to the base contract. Provide a contact for contract questions and issues, if known and if different from the contact above.
Cost Benefit Justification - Discuss and quantify research regarding the pricing and terms of the cooperative agreement demonstrating that the use of this agreement for the requested products and services is in the best interest of the State.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: SOLE SOURCE CERTIFICATIONS
Note: Certification must be renewed for revisions to previous Sole Source Acquisitions. The marketplace may have changed since the original sole source acquisition. After an initial contract term, a competition may be required.
See 013-030 Procurement Types: Sole Source for additional information on Sole Source Certification.
Specific business requirements to be met by the requested products or services-The purchasing agency or institution is responsible for documenting its business needs in the sole source request. What are the business requirements, based on your agency's mission, enabling legislation, or external mandate, that are to be met via the sole source acquisition? Include both an overview of the business requirements and details on the specific features of the requested product or service provider on which the sole source certification will be based.
Other products/vendors researched or evaluated -Before a product or service can be certified as single source, the market must be researched to identify alternate sources or products. Describe the competitive market and document the specific reasons why other products or service providers in this market cannot substantially meet your business needs. If similar products or services exist in the marketplace, the business case for the unique functionality or characteristics of the sole-sourced item must be compelling for the procurement to be sole-sourced under state statute.
Unique features (i.e. special functionality) of the requested product(s) or vendor-Document in detail the unique capabilities of the product or service to be sole-sourced. These features should be based on business requirements described above. As the requestor, you are responsible for demonstrating that only one product or supplier is capable of satisfying these requirements. The uniqueness must be based on functionality. The following are not acceptable as sole source determinants:
* Patented methodologies
* low cost
* special incentives
* largest user base
* other comparative features
Is the expenditure reasonable? Explain why or why not: Per Mississippi Code annotated Section 25-9-120(3), purchasers requesting sole source approval of services must provide an explanation of why the amount to be expended for the service is reasonable. Section 25-9 directs the efforts of the Personal Services Contract Review Board, and by policy and procedure, ITS follows similar documentation requirements.
Negotiation Efforts: Per Mississippi Code annotated Section 25-9-120(3), purchasers requesting sole source approval of services must provide an explanation of the efforts to obtain the best possible price for the service. Section 25-9 directs the efforts of the Personal Services Contract Review Board, and by policy and procedure, ITS follows similar documentation requirements.
Vendor's Certification of Sole Source attached - In addition to the requestor's certification of need and uniqueness of the requested product, a statement is required from the vendor, on the company's letterhead. This statement should certify both that (1) the product is unique in the specific ways documented by the customer above and (2) the product is available only through the manufacturer and not via resellers. Requestors should provide instructions to vendors on the type of certification that is required by Mississippi's sole source statute. Vendors should not include adjectival justification (best, largest, fastest) but should clearly describe unique functionality. If there are resellers but the product itself is certified as single source, a product-specific competition must be conducted among resellers to obtain competitive pricing.
Vendor's proposal attached-If the vendor has provided pricing and/or terms and conditions for a contract, attach these. Because the State is at a contractual disadvantage in an acquisition not based upon a competition with detailed specifications, it is especially important that the contract be based on the State's contract templates that meet Mississippi's statutory requirements. The proposal and vendor contracts provide a starting point for incorporating the specifics of the purchase into the State's paperwork as a solid contractual foundation that protects the purchaser for the life of the product.
MAGIC Vendor Code(s)-Vendor must be in MAGIC before a CP-1 can be issued - Because the vendor has already been determined in a Sole Source request, providing the following information in parallel with the documentation required for sole source certification may speed up the acquisition process.
Place order to: Vendor name and address
Remit to: Vendor name and address - Provide if different from "Place order to" information.
Signature of agency head or IHL CIO (or designee)-In addition to acknowledging procurement charges, as described in "REQUESTED INFORMATION-GENERAL", this signature, for a sole source request, is the requesting entity's certification that the request is in fact a sole source as defined in Mississippi Code and explained in Chapter 013-010 of the Procurement Handbook.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: EMERGENCY PURCHASE REQUESTS
See 013-060 Emergency Purchases for additional information on emergency purchase requests.
If applicable, attach a certified copy of the appropriate minutes of the agency's board meeting regarding the emergency purchase - Mississippi Code Section 31-7-13(j) outlines the emergency purchase procedure for state agencies and IHLs. This paragraph specifically requires that any agency head or designee responsible to an agency board must ensure that each emergency purchase is documented in the minutes of the board meeting prior to the emergency purchase. The minutes should include a description of the product or service to be purchased, the cost, the vendor from whom the purchase will be made and the nature of the emergency. A copy of these minutes must be provided to ITS with the emergency purchase request.
Does the situation fall under the definition of an emergency set forth in Section 31-7-1(f) of Mississippi Code?-The statutory definition of an emergency is as follows:
The response to this item should outline the specific component of this definition that applies in the current emergency situation. Note: The definition applies only to events that could not have been reasonably anticipated. Failure to plan or to act in a timely and proactive manner to replace or upgrade equipment or other products does not fall within the statutory definition of "emergency."
What happened to cause the emergency? - This explanation should be an expansion on the events surrounding the specific emergency that is cited in response to question 2.
Is this specific emergency purchase directly related to the threatening of the health or safety of any person, or the preservation or protection of property? - As outlined in Mississippi Code 31-7-13 (j), procurement oversight approval is required prior to the emergency purchase when the emergency is not directly related to the threatening of the health or safety of any person, or the preservation or protection of property. ITS anticipates an emergency situation may include purchases that require prior approval along with purchases that do not, in accordance with Mississippi Code 31-7-13 (j). The purchasing agency or institution should pay careful attention as to whether an emergency purchase requires prior approval, and submit paperwork for each emergency purchase separately.
What would be the negative consequences of following normal purchasing procedures? - This section should include an explanation of the expected turnaround time for following a normal purchasing process, contrasted with the timeframe in which the products or services are required in order to perform the mission of the agency. Note: The law requires that the total purchases made under the emergency purchase procedure must only be for the purpose of meeting the needs created by the emergency.
Basis of selection of vendor(s) to be used - Even when using the emergency purchase procedure, agencies should use reasonable efforts to
* Compare vendor offerings
* Ensure the selected product or service provider meets the needs of the agency
* Obtain favorable pricing and contract terms using the following:
* Written quotations
* Use of state contract templates
* Internet research
* Reference checking
* Other informal means that can be used within the time constraints imposed by the emergency
In response to this question, the agency should describe the research and selection process used for the requested emergency purchase.
Vendor's proposal attached
Remit to: Vendor name and address
Signature of agency head or IHL CIO (or designee)-In addition to acknowledging procurement charges, as describe in "REQUESTED INFORMATION-GENERAL", this signature, for an emergency purchase, is the requesting entity's certification that an extreme emergency exists to such an extent that delay incident to giving opportunity for competitive bidding would be detrimental to the interest of the state.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: EXEMPTION REQUESTS
See 013-040 Procurement Types: Exemption for additional information on exemption requests.
Planned Acquisition Method: Describe the manner in which this procurement will be conducted in fulfillment of state law-An exemption request is used by a purchasing entity to request that ITS delegate the procurement process for an acquisition that falls within ITS purview and has not been delegated to the agencies and institutions via a global delegation (See 015-010 Procurement Limits Policies: State Agencies and 015-020 Procurement Limits Policies: IHLs for information on global delegations) ITS cannot exempt a procurement from the competitive process required by state law. This section should be used to describe the competitive instrument that will be used for the acquisition (RFP, Request for Quotes, Bid), including a high-level description of the scope and content of that document, and a description of how the procurement will be handled by the requesting agency in accordance with such statutory requirements as advertisement in a newspaper with statewide circulation, receipt of sealed proposals, and fair and equitable determination of lowest and best response.
Signature of agency head or IHL CIO-In addition to acknowledging procurement charges, as described in "REQUESTED INFORMATION-GENERAL", this signature, for an exemption request, is the requesting entity's certification of the following:
* The agency/institution will follow all applicable laws for public purchasing in the acquisition, including the following:
* Developing open specifications
* Advertising according to IT Procurement law, and ITS policy and procedure as documented in this Handbook
* Ensuring a thorough and equitable evaluation of all responses
* Responding in a timely manner to all public records and post-procurement review requests
* The agency/institution will negotiate any and all applicable contracts and contract amendments arising from the procurement, with signature authority for the State delegated by the ITS Executive Director to the agency/institution
* Any protests resulting from the procurement will be heard by the ITS Executive Director and/or ITS Board, in accordance with the ITS Protest Procedure and Policy.
The signature also acknowledges that the authority of the ITS Executive Director to negotiate limitation of liability cannot be delegated and does not apply to an exemption.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: REVISION REQUESTS
See 013-020 Procurement Types: Revision for additional information on revision requests.
Project History and Accounting:
CP-1 Number to be Revised - Full CP-1 number of current CP-1(s) (YYYYnnnn, where YYYY=Fiscal Year issued; nnnn = sequence number)
Total Amount Authorized on CP-1 to be Revised-Total dollar amount originally approved on the current CP-1(s) (Dollar amount labeled "Lifecycle" on last page of CP-1)
Reason(s) Revision Required-Check all that apply. For "Other," enter explanation as described below.
Project Accounting - Summarize expenditures to date from the original CP-1, to show the remaining balance, if any, from the initial approval. Note: Provide invoice details for at least the previous 12 months. Payments older than 12 months may be summarized by Fiscal Year. This information is intended to help the customer and ITS reconcile the change request with previous approvals and to ensure the new CP-1 is issued for the correct amount, bringing forward any remaining dollars from the previous CP-1 if appropriate. Include any invoiced or encumbered amounts in the payment history and subtract the total amount spent or encumbered from the original approval amount to represent the current remaining balance as accurately as possible.
Dollar Amount:Complete this section if the revision includes an increase in the dollar amount.
Original Amount Approved - Total dollar amount originally approved on the CP-1
Current Balance - Amount remaining, per Project Accounting above.
Amount of Increase - Total dollar amount of requested increase in project cost. Explain the reason for the increased cost in the section "Project Scope," as described below.
New Balance - Current Balance + Amount of Increase; New CP-1 will be issued for this amount.
Expiration Date:Complete this section if the revision includes an extension to the CP-1 expiration date.
Original-Provide the expiration date of the CP-1 that is being revised.
New - Provide the desired expiration date for the new CP-1. Allow time to process final invoices after project completion.
Vendor Information:
Vendor Name-Complete this section if the revision includes a vendor name change. If the name change is due to an acquisition or assignment, provide all relevant information and explanation.
Original - Vendor name as shown on current CP-1
New - Vendor name for new CP-1. If vendor is not in MAGIC under the new name, or if the project has been assigned to a vendor not in MAGIC, ITS will work with you and the vendor to acquire the W-9 form and any other documentation needed.
Vendor Address-Complete this section if the revision includes an address change for the vendor. Note whether the change applies to "Notice", "Remit To", and/or "Place Order To" addresses.
If the address change impacts the vendor file record in MAGIC, ITS will work with you and the vendor to acquire the needed documentation and submit the update to DFA.
Original-Address as shown on current CP-1
New-Provide both physical and mailing addresses, if different.
Project Scope -Complete this section if the revision includes any change in project scope from the scope defined in the original CP-1 and supporting contract documents. All revision requests that include an increase in dollar amount should include an explanation of that increase in this section. Scope changes with no cost impact or that reduce the total cost should also be clearly documented in this section. Examples of requested scope changes include:
* More or fewer of specific items than originally planned
* Alternate products or services in lieu of those originally planned
* Additional consulting hours to provide additional services or services over a longer period of time.
Provide quantitative information and unit costs, such as
* Number of additional hours and hourly rates
* Model of equipment
* Unit cost
* Quantity required
* Description of new deliverable(s) and deliverable costs with vendor's methodology for determining that cost
Other-Complete this section if the reason for revision included "Other." Provide an explanation of the change needed and the circumstances that led to the change request. This section can also be used to provide additional supporting details that would be required to issue a revised CP-1.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: PLANNED PURCHASES
See 013-080 Procurement Types: EPL Planned Purchase for additional information on planned purchases.
Project Title - Planned Purchases for FY20__: This standard project title is used for an agency's planned purchases for a fiscal year.
ITS Project # (IT Plan)-From the Planning System
Vendors Contacted-Specific instructions are included on the form for Planned Purchases regarding attaching written quotes from EPL vendors. Note: A minimum of two quotes are required for total FY purchases up to $1,000,000 and a minimum of three quotes are required above $1,000,000 total FY purchases.
Selection and Justification: - Indicate the selected vendor(s) from the quotation received. See additional documentation on the Planned Purchases form. If the quotes requested were brand specific, the request should include documentation on how the manufacturer standard was established in compliance with ITS policy. If the quote selected is not low cost, the requestor must supply substantial justification to support the selection.
Name and official title of agency head to whom Planned Procurement authorization letter will be addressed - The authorization to exceed the EPL purchasing limits using the planned purchases procedure is issued in the form of a letter from the ITS Executive Director to the requesting agency's executive director or officer. Provide the full name and title of the agency's executive. This letter should be maintained in the purchasing file for audit purposes.
36 Miss. Code. R. 2-5-205.2