February/March 2023 Volume 5, Issue 7 | | Choice Partners Annual Appreciation Luncheon | | CP recognizes top members and vendors | | |
Choice Partners swept into the new year with their annual Member and Vendor Appreciation Luncheon, celebrating the top performing 26 members and 37 vendors.
The highest performance came in duos from both groups, with Houston ISD and Humble ISD as the top members, while Labatt Food Service and Vaughn Construction took the places of top vendors.
| | Jeff Drury, senior director, recognizes Spring ISD during the annual luncheon. | | Both members received a bag full of branded goodies from CP, while Vaughn and Labatt (respectively) received branded jackets and a cooler, complete with both CP and their company logo. | | “We don’t give bonuses,” Colbert joked. “Everything that you guys do for us goes straight into the schools. What we do is only possible because of you.” | | |
Colbert also mentioned a former HCDE employee, Julian, who was given assistance through Fortis Academy, a recovery high school in HCDE and one of the programs funded by Choice. The employee was not only successful with HCDE's substance abuse program but was also offered employment with HCDE's Records Management division after graduation. Julian is now pursuing further education.
“This,” Colbert told members and vendors “is what you allow us to do.”
| | Monique Joseph, contract manager, coordinated the annual event. | | The event was collaborative effort by CP team members and headed by Monique Joseph, contract manager, who decorated the area to be fiesta-themed. Attendees were treated to a buffet of Mexican food and networking. | | Appreciating 20 Years with Joann | | Choice Partners recently celebrated the retirement of Joann Nichols, assistant director, who had been with the co-op for 20 years. HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr. was present at the celebration. He spoke of the value Joann brought to both Choice and HCDE, and the hard work for which she was known. | | Superintendent Colbert talks of Joann's hard work. | | |
Jeff Drury, senior director, mentioned Joann’s work ethic and how it influenced Choice Partners.
“Sometimes she’d be riding a horse and a vendor would call in asking about some info, or it would be someone on the east coast asking how to access a part of the website, and she’d tell them exactly where to go while she was off work,” he said. “She wears a lot of hats.”
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CP showed appreciation to Joann with homemade treats, a cake and gifts to thank her for all she had done.
Joann closed the event with gratitude for her fellow coworkers and other attendees. “I just want to let you all know: if you’re in the room, it’s because you mean something to me,” she said.
| | Joann speaks with attendees, including Sarah Langlois, HCDE's attorney. | | Distinguishing between cooperative differences | | | Is the good/service to be purchased actually included in the contract? | A huge misconception exists that cooperatives approve vendors. That’s patently false! A co-op awards contracts for specific goods and/or services to vendors. A purchasing entity must ensure that the good/service to be purchased is actually included in the co-op’s contract. Reviewing the co-op’s RFP and awarded contract – usually included in the co-op’s “due diligence” files available to members – and confirming that the good/service is included in those documents is essential. For example, if a co-op contract is awarded for playground equipment and you want the vendor to perform painting services, using the playground equipment RFP won’t satisfy the legal procurement requirements. | | Can federal funds be used with this contract? | Comparing the co-op vendor’s pricing schedule submitted in response to the RFP (and any updated pricing in the event of a renewal of a co-op contract) to the vendor’s quote for your specific purchase is an essential step to ensuring you have received the proper, competitively procured pricing that is in alignment with the co-op contract. Co-ops should have pricing information readily available for members’ review to ensure the pricing provided on the quote for your specific purchase matches the co-op contract’s pricing. | | Can I ensure the pricing offered is compliant with the contract? | The co-op’s contract with the vendor should be readily available for your review and download. Best practice dictates that purchasing members retain copies of the co-op’s contract and procurement documents so that the purchasing member has evidence of its own procurement compliance in the event of an audit or other review. | | Is the contract available for review? | Similar to above, all supporting documents, such as the co-op’s procurement solicitation (i.e., RFP), advertisement notice(s), the vendor’s proposal, vendor’s completed vendor packet, the co-op’s bid tabulation, as well as the awarded contract(s), should be readily available from the co-op. Some co-ops even make their additional procurement documents, such as the federally required independent estimate and cost-price analysis, available to members. | | Are supporting documents to the contract available? | Not all co-ops are created equally with respect to satisfying legal obligations or assisting purchasing members. Good co-ops will have staff available to assist purchasing members with questions as well as providing access to procurement and contract documents. Several co-ops will also assist purchasing members with reviewing co-op vendors’ quotes to ensure compliance with the co-op’s contract and will also be available to help resolve any dispute that may arise between a purchasing member and a co-op vendor. Finally, a handful of Texas co-ops voluntarily audit their own contracts and procurement processes as a measure of constant improvement and compliance. | | | |
STAY TUNED: We will answer the remaining questions in future editions of Leaders Choice.
Part two of a three-part series.
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Choice Partners received the Cooperative Entity Competitive Assurance Program (CECAP) certification from the Central Texas Purchasing Alliance (CTPA). Participation in the application process is totally voluntary by the cooperative.
CTPA is made up exclusively of school district purchasing representatives, with a collective desire to share experiences, tools and knowledge. The alliance is an administrative agency created in accordance with Section 791.001 of the Texas Government Code. CTPA continues to examine best practices for the best interest of its members and strives to instill the proper application of the public procurement process in the State of Texas.
| | | Effective April 1, 2023, the Choice Partners Supply Catalog will be discontinued. Due to the supply chain shortages and shipping issues, Choice Partners has decided to NON-RENEW all awards in our Choice Partners Supply Catalog. | | |
Contracts affected by this action are:
- 22/001KN Appliances
- 22/002KN Art Supplies
- 22/003KN Athletic Supplies
- 22/004KN Classroom Supplies
- 22/005KN Custodial Supplies
- 22/006KN Food Service Supplies
- 22/007KN Health/Medical Supplies
- 22/008KN Office Supplies
- 22/009KN Safety/Security Supplies
- 22/010KN Technology Supplies
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Most vendors in the Choice Partners Supply Catalog are awarded on various contracts with Choice Partners, which means members can still order from vendors off their current catalog/discount price list. Members will need to reference a different Choice Partners contract number for their order(s).
For more information, contact Jeff Drury at jeff@choicepartners.org or 713-696-1786.
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HCDE Interlocal Agreements with new members: Bloom Academy Charter School, Houston, Texas; Buna Independent School District, Buna, Texas; Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District, Lubbock, Texas; Luling Independent School District, Luling, Texas; Moody Independent School District, Moody, Texas; Mount Enterprise Independent School District, Mount Enterprise, Texas; Prairiland Independent School District, Pattonville, Texas; Seminole Independent School District, Seminole, Texas; Snyder Independent School District, Snyder, Texas; Spring Hill Independent School District, Longview, Texas; and Westhoff Independent School District, Westhoff, Texas.
HCDE Out-of-state new members: NYSARC Inc., New York, N.Y.; Nevada Regional Medical Center, Nevada, Mi.; and South Colonie Central School District, Albany, N.Y.
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Recently Awarded Contracts: Cafeteria Trades Maintenance Component and Component for Single Trade Job Order Contracting; Charter Bus Rentals, Alternate Transportation Services and Car Rentals; Job Order Contracting IDIQ Minor Construction, Maintenance, Repair, Alteration, Renovation, and Remediation Services; Medicaid Claiming and Billing Services; and Office Supplies and Related Items.
Recently Renewed Contracts: Signage and Related Items; Painting, Drywall & Flooring; and Waterproofing, Roofing and Masonry.
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National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC)
April 10-14
San Diego, Calif.
TAPPA Annual Conference
April 23-25
Denton, Texas
| | Musical Instruments & Related Items | | | | |
Do you know a vendor who has provided exemplary service? Have a statement to make about Choice Partners service quality? Want to share with others about a Choice contract that meets your needs? Submit your review using the link below. | | |
We would love for our members to host a training. Trainings are a great way to network and gain exposure. If you would like to host a training, submit your information to the link below: | | Let your contacts who are quality vendors know about these opportunities. They must register in our E-Bid system to do business with us. | | |
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Choice Partners | A Division of Harris County Department of Education
6005 Westview, Houston, TX 77055
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