Public Purchasing

This course explores best practices for handling the rejection of a low bidder and responding to bid protests in public procurement. Participants will learn how to establish clear policies, communicate effectively with vendors, and maintain transparency throughout the bidding process. Topics include developing objective specifications, documenting decisions, conducting debriefings, and crafting structured responses to protests. Emphasis is placed on preparedness, accountability, and creating a fair, consistent process to mitigate disputes and ensure integrity in procurement.

This course will give the Purchasing Professional insight into contracts in general and in particular with regard to contracts in the procurement cycle. Included will be identification of contract risks and pitfalls; responsibilities of the procurement professional in contract administration; exploration of the legal reasons and methodology for termination and contract breach, and remedies available.

This course provides an overview of how to identify, prevent, and address fraud in public purchasing. Participants will learn to recognize red flags such as repetitive awards to the same vendor, suspicious use of P-cards, and misuse of emergency purchases or pre-qualifications. The course also covers ethical concerns including bribery, conflicts of interest, abuse of office, and inappropriate conduct with suppliers. Real-world examples highlight common schemes and reinforce the importance of integrity, accountability, and compliance in procurement practices.

This course covers the critical yet often overlooked role of contract administration in the procurement cycle. Participants will explore best practices for managing contracts from award through closeout, including post-award orientations, payment approvals, service level monitoring, and mid-contract reviews. Topics include prompt payment requirements, performance bond enforcement, dispute resolution, and contractor disqualification procedures. Emphasis is placed on early procurement involvement, clear communication with using departments, and maintaining compliance throughout the contract term.

This course provides procurement professionals with essential skills for drafting clear, effective specifications and scopes of work. Participants will learn the differences between design, performance, and combination specifications; how to gather and adapt sample documents; and best practices for defining needs, working with user departments, and ensuring clarity and fairness in bidding. The course also covers key distinctions in developing scopes of work, including evaluation processes, pre-bid conferences, and committee review protocols.

The Local Public Contracts Law (LPCL) and corresponding Rules are not the only Law and Rules that impact how your specifications and requests for proposals are developed.  This 6 hour course will examine when and how other laws and rules "Beyond the LPCL" influence the outcome of your final specifications and requests.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the competitive contracting process within New Jersey's public purchasing framework. Participants will learn the legal foundations, procurement methods, and best practices for acquiring goods and services through competitive contracting.

This course provides essential knowledge and strategies for managing emergency procurements, emphasizing the dynamic nature of FEMA rules and best practices for staying informed and compliant. Participants will learn how to effectively prepare for emergencies, manage procurement processes during crises, and navigate various regulatory requirements.

This half-day seminar is designed for purchasing assistants, support staff, newcomers to purchasing office duties, and using agencies affected by the purchasing function. The program introduces the basic legal requirements of purchasing; explains forms, processes, and purchasing vocabulary; and recommends effective strategies. Participants gain a clear understanding of the total purchasing process and learn how to improve office efficiency.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the competitive contracting process within New Jersey's public purchasing framework. Participants will learn the legal foundations, procurement methods, and best practices for acquiring goods and services through competitive contracting.

This course suggests strategies for optimizing purchasing decisions in terms of environmental performance, product performance, and cost to New Jersey procurement professionals. The course offers guidance and suggestions for personnel responsible for buying the goods and services that keep local units operating.

This course introduces the long-term benefits of Green Product Purchasing and addresses how it can reduce overall costs, improve the workplace environment, strengthen markets for recyclable materials, promote the use of less toxic products to protect the health and safety of workers while minimizing potentially harmful emissions to air and water, and minimize local unit energy costs by promoting the purchase of energy-conserving appliances, equipment, and fixtures.

This one-day course takes the student through the step-by-step process of public school bidding and quotations for goods and services, as well as public work construction bids in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-1 et seq.

This 2-day course addresses issues that school board purchasing personnel deal with regularly. It reviews the Public Schools Contracts Law to enhance the effective purchasing practices of supplies and equipment, cooperative purchasing procedures, change order regulations and certification of funds. The course emphasizes the importance of standardized procedures and effective communication between purchasing personnel and the administration.

This course provides an introduction and examination of the New Jersey Ethics in Local Government laws and standards. The concepts are further enhanced by case studies. The seminar focuses on the legal, political, and personal implications of serving in a position of public trust.

Good bids start with good specifications! This session is designed to familiarize managerial and purchasing personnel with the necessary tools for good specification writing. The seminar will describe the skills that the specification writing will use to identify needs, separate needs from wants, and accurately describe the needed goods and services.

This course discusses the philosophies behind the concept of green procurement, sustainability, and resource efficient procurement. The course explores its benefit including "umbrella" goals such as reducing the carbon footprint and more "local" realities such as reducing workers exposure to toxic materials, sustainability, recycling and disposal. The course also discusses the conflicts behind "green purchasing" and the Local Public Contracts law.

RFPs and RFQs are an integral part of the bidding process. This course will look beyond the boilerplate and specifications to tactical inclusions in bidding documents to ensure that the local government needs are met. Further, the course will explore "getting to yes", the art of negotiation the purchasing professional can apply to everything to working with engineers and attorneys to bargaining with vendors to get the best deal. lt can apply to everything to working with engineers and attorneys to bargaining with vendors to get the best deal.