Procurement a puzzle? Check out these resources

The Center for Government Innovation has added two procurement-related resources to the Resources Database in recent months:

• Piggybacking guidance: The first resource, published in late 2018 (but updated in February 2019), provides guidance on piggybacking (using the bid awards of others). We developed this resource because it is an area where there are frequent audit issues and we receive many help desk questions. It includes information about the responsibilities of lead governments, as well as those governments that are participating in the bid award. Further, it answers many frequently asked questions about piggybacking. Additionally, the appendix contains an optional checklist that governments may use. For even more piggybacking guidance, check out the Municipal Research and Services Center's (MRSC) December 2018 “The Perils of Piggybacking.”
• Change order best practices: This resource focuses on various best practices such as those to control change-order pricing, and to manage and review change order costs, and also some tips on developing policies. It provides guidance for construction and architectural and engineering (A&E) change orders.

If your organization is looking for procurement-related training, then you might consider MRSC's recent offerings for its “Purchasing and Contracting Essentials Workshops” being held at various locations around the state. However, classes fill quickly, so if you are interested you should sign up soon!