Presented by:

Amanda Arriaga

Jessica Ballew (Iselt)

Skylor Hearn

THE FANTASTIC FOUR

WHY IT, BUSINESS CUSTOMERS, PROCUREMENT

AND VENDORS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO

MAKE CONTRACTS SUCCESSFUL

POLL QUESTION #1

Does the business drive IT?

• Yes

• No

POLL QUESTION #2

Who in the agency determines what

procurement path should be used?

• The business

• IT

• Procurement

SB 20, Y’ALL

• SB 20 changed the dynamics of contracting. The law now:

• Requires that the Procurement director certify that the

procurement path is appropriate.

• Requires that the Procurement director approve the use of

the “best value” standard.

• Requires that the Procurement director acknowledge in

writing that the Contract Management Guide was followed.

PRE CONTRACT: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

• Business: Identifies the need

• IT: Translates the need to determine what technology

capabilities are required

• Procurement: Determines the process to best acquire

the solution

• Vendors: Implement the (well thought out) solution

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

The Business:

• Defines the need

• Has the funding (usually)

• Is the Executive Sponsor

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

IT:

• Determines the requirements for the technology

• Has the needed resources for implementation

(usually)

• Is a Stakeholder

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Procurement:

• Determines the proper method of solicitation (i.e.

renew or resolicit)

• Communicates with potential vendors during the

solicitation process

• Is a Stakeholder

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Vendor:

• Determines and/or Provides the solution based

on the requirements

SO REALLY, A CONTRACT IS LIKE A PROJECT?

Yes!

At DPS:

• Enterprise Projects and all agency contracts are housed in the same division

• This provides visibility into major contracts that should be handled as projects and projects that will later need a contract.

SAMPLE PROJECT STATUS

SAMPLE SOLICITATION STATUS

SO REALLY, A CONTRACT IS LIKE A PROJECT?

At DPS:

• An Enterprise Sponsor is identified for all projects and contracts.

• Enterprise reporting of both projects and contracts is consistent.

• Policy & Planning Office provides oversight and visibility into both functions.

POST CONTRACT: DON’T GIVE AWAY YOUR

HAMMER

Contract monitoring:

• This is a team event

• Procurement: The official communicator with the vendor; Provides information to the vendor performance tracking system

• Business: Provides information about the health of the contract (Is it on time? Are you getting what you asked for?)

AVOIDING DR. DOOM: VENDORS• Present your solutions at meetings with agencies, but don’t ask them to

describe their needs to you.

• Once an RFO/RFP is posted, don’t call the agencies.

• If you have a question during the posting period, ask it formally. Don’t wait.

• If you need to file a formal protest, please do. Informal discussions post award

won’t get you the result you want.

• If not yet under contract, the relationships you cultivate with agency staff

require the agency to be more prudent about being competitive.

• Once under contract, communicate with the resource listed in the contract, not

the one you happen to have the closest relationship with.

AVOIDING DR. DOOM: IT• Communicate with your customer. Often.

• If you are not the business owner of the contract/project, do not

make decisions for the owner in a vacuum.

• Don’t pretend to understand business jargon. Stop and ask

questions until you are comfortable.

• Don’t speak “IT” just to confuse the rest of your partners.

• Your role is to help translate the business need. Your role is not

to define the business need or define the procurement method.

AVOIDING DR. DOOM: BUSINESS

• Don’t pretend to understand the jargon. Stop and ask questions

until you are comfortable.

• Review all expenditures related to your contract/project. Ensure

that you are paying for your contract/project and not for the

administrative overhead of other divisions.

• Your role is to identify and articulate the business need. You do

not have to be the expert in IT language or procurement.

AVOIDING DR. DOOM: PROCUREMENT • Don’t pretend to understand the jargon. Stop and ask questions

until you are comfortable.

• It’s ok to be the bad guy. Things are black and white. You determine whether it is most proper to renew or resolicit. You are the keeper of “best value”.

• Always communicate with the business during the course of the contract. You must detail the agency perspective in the CPA Vendor Performance Tracking System.

• Your role is to identify the proper procurement path. You are not the expert in the business need or IT language.

QUESTIONS?

• Amanda Arriaga, 512-424-7772

amanda.arriaga@dps.texas.gov

• Jessica Ballew (Iselt), 512-424-5818

jessica.iselt@dps.texas.gov

• Skylor Hearn, 512-424-7901

skylor.hearn@dps.texas.gov