The Connecticut Department of Administrative Services Procurement office was highlighted for its Coronavirus pandemic response during the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) Annual Conference, September 16, 2020.
The Pandemic Procurement Excellence (PPE) project, offered in place of the George R. Cronin Award for Public Procurement Excellence, showcased states’ responses to the pandemic declaration and the work of the central procurement office to meet the needs of the states’ residents. The submissions reveal the challenges the central procurement office faced in the early days of the pandemic and feature the exceptional, ongoing work done by staff.
DAS Procurement Director Carol Wilson said, “Connecticut along with other states across the country was confronted with incredible challenges due to the Coronavirus crisis. While it was a hectic few months of finding legitimate sources for PPE and verifying those vendors, our office adjusted and adapted quickly to the new procurement world. I’m incredibly proud of our procurement team as well as DAS Commissioner Josh Geballe and Governor Ned Lamont for providing the professionalism and leadership needed during this incredible time.”
CT was one of the hardest hit states in the country, and most staff intimately knew individuals impacted. Multiple colleagues were hospitalized and fighting for their lives. As one staff member highlighted, “This wasn’t just a hypothetical exercise. We were doing this for our colleagues, our families, and our neighbors.”
For business and philanthropic leaders eager to help source PPE, DAS Procurement offered an outlet for partnership. For small businesses out of work due to stay at home orders, DAS Procurement helped to empower companies to change their business models, retool, and ultimately transform the state’s supply chain.
CT took a range of innovative steps to effectively procure critical goods and services while ensuring proper controls remained in place to prevent fraud and abuse. The following activities highlight some of the most crucial efforts:
- Implemented a systematized process to vet and source PPE.
- Created an interactive dashboard to inform PPE reporting.
- Drafted Executive Orders issued by the Governor to streamline procurement processes.
- Established longer-term supply chains and support new service areas.
- Partnered with other state agencies to transform how critical supplies were delivered across the state
A tribute video highlighting the pandemic effort was shown at the NASPO Annual Conference and is now available on the NASPO website. Additionally, all stories submitted, either through video or a written statement, are included on the website.
You can view the tribute shared at the Annual Conference here. For additional information on the Procurement Pandemic Excellence (PPE) project, or to view the full written and video submissions, please visit the NASPO website.
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About NASPO: The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing public procurement through leadership, excellence, and integrity. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States. NASPO is an organization that helps its members as public procurement leaders through the promotion of best practices, education, professional development, research, and innovative procurement strategies.
