Watertown Public Schools Procurement Guidelines and Procedures

Watertown Public Schools Watertown Public Schools Leadership Team Leadership Team Procurement Refresher Procurement Refresher Lisa Gibbons Acting Director of Finance and Operations Paul Livingston TMS Consulting Business Manager August 24, 2023

Welcome Back to Buying Goods and Services! Welcome Back to Buying Goods and Services! - School Business Office - Lisa Gibbons Director of Finance and Operations - Corinne Glover Executive Assistant Finance and Operations - Jackie Ghiozzi Accounts Payable Jaelyn Blair- Director of Operations and Grants - Frankie Bonarrrigo Payroll (Long Term Employee) - Paul Livingston and Marlene DiLeo PT Consulting Business Managers - City Hall Finance Services with New Folks - George Proakis - City Manager - Megan Langan City Auditor - Melissa Morrisey City Treasurer/Collector (Long Term Employee) - Brian Wyncoop - City Procurement Officer - Brian reviews all POs over $25,000

The Finance Office is Moving Onward The Finance Office is Moving Onward and Upward! and Upward! Online timesheets Sometime soon Waiver fees for each school - add to websites New for SY2023 2024 Use of TEC Bid for purchasing AccountModification/Transfer forms Orders placed to vendors by YOU once PO approved Three Quote Forms to meet MGL Ch30B requirements Principals/Cost Center managers will see both salary and expense on their budget reportss Meet with Principals (mid-September) and Admin. Assts and Aps on September ER Day to explain processes/procedures These documents will be sent to you electronically This PPT Presentation The TEC Bid Pricing List Account Modofication/Transfer Form Three Quoite Fprm How to Get Your Current Operations BudgetAmounts and Remaining Balances from MUNIS

MA Purchasing (Procurement) is Governed by MA Purchasing (Procurement) is Governed by MGL Chapter 30B MGL Chapter 30B - Between $0 and $9,999 Use SMART Business Practices - From $10,000 - $100,000 Three (3) Quotes Required - Use Three Quote Form Provided - Specifications must be the same for ALL vendors and include shipping and installation if required - Requests can be by email or phone - Set a date to respond by typically two weeks - If they do not respond by date, this counts as one of your quotes -You may go back and ask if a respected vendor can meet a price - Bid Splitting not allowed buying small quantities to avoid requirements when you know what you need for the school year. - Over $100,000 Formal Bid Process Required per Watertown/MGL Contact Finance Office (

Properly Procuring Supplies and Materials Properly Procuring Supplies and Materials Requires Planning and Time Requires Planning and Time The TEC bid for school supplies should be used as much as possible - We will continually check other vendors for savings Amazon purchasing does not always save money. Constant Price and PO Changes The Amazon Prime next day delivery culture is not the most cost-effective way to purchase school items - A lot of Time is wasted changing POs and doing account transfers - WPS can not pay any invoice with sales tax on it. - Across the entire district, we may exceed limits on certain items - Bid Splitting Reimbursements will not be allowed except for emergencies or for vendors who can not be paid through a PO by the approval of your Principal/Director State Bids and Formal Bids are Confusing so Kindly Contact the Finance Office - Purchases over $100,000 requires a formal Bid Process per MGL - Many Vendors are on State Bids but only for certaing products or services - YOU MUST READ THE SMALL PRINT!

Please Look at the Thre Please Look at the Three e Quote Sheet on Page 5 of Quote Sheet on Page 5 of the Handout. The Handout has been Sent the Handout. The Handout has been Sent Electronically. Electronically. There s no place like home." Dorothy the Wizard of Oz There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Franklin D. Roosevelt Knowledge is Power. Sir Francis Bacon

MGL Chapter 30B Has Some Exemptions MGL Chapter 30B Has Some Exemptions Appendix A1 of Chapter 30B Manual Appendix A1 of Chapter 30B Manual - Agreements for the provision of special education services directly to a student. - Purchases from funds gifted to the school district for a specific purpose. However, procurement practices may be more cost effective. The gift may require School Committee approval. - Professional Development for School Staff.

MGL Ch30B Allows for MGL Ch30B Allows for Sole Sole- -Source Source Purchases Purchases Contracts of $100,000 or less You may make a sole-source procurement of any supply or service that is estimated to cost not more than $100,000 when a reasonable investigation shows that there is only one practicable source for the required supply or service. Your determination that only one practicable source exists must be in writing. It is wise to ask the vendor for their sole source letter describing why they have a unique product or service. Contracts of more than $100,000 You may not make a sole-source procurement of more than $100,000 except for the following: Software maintenance, library books and educational materials: You may make noncompetitive purchases in any amount for software maintenance; library books; school textbooks; or educational programs, courses or curricula in any media, including educational software, newspapers, serials, periodicals and audiovisual materials, if you determine in writing, after reasonable investigation, that there is only one practicable source for the items. It is wise to ask the vendor for their sole source letter describing why they have a unique product or service

Watertown Cost Center Munis Financial Software Process Entering Requisitions 1. Add Note to Vendor All INVOICESMUST INCLUDE PO # and MUST BE SENT to Shipping Address 2. Put name of person ordering at top of address 3. Put Attn: Admin Asst. or Administrator Name at bottom of address 4. Confirm you meet MGL Chapter 30B Requirements necessary for PO approval a. Under $9.999 use smart business decisions. b. $10,000 - $100.000 requires three quotes using our three quotes form c. Over $100,000 formal bid process - Collaborate with Finance Office to complete this process 5. For letters b and c above, State Bids or other sources of bids already completed (i.e. the TEC bid that we participate in) could be used. BUT, THE SOURCE and IDENTIFYING NUMBER/SOURCE of the BID NEEDS to be NOTED ON THE REQ/PO. 6. Include actual shipping or 10% of order and any installation costs 7. Click to Email PO Authorizer

Watertown Cost Center Munis Financial Software Process Once PO Approved 1. YOU call, email, fax PO and other documents to the vendor for the order Once Supplies, Services, and/or Materials Received 1. Scan Invoice into documents with administrator s signature approval 2. Adjust PO if needed Increase amount of PO if necessary a. If necessary, submit an Account Modification/Transfer Form to the Finance Office for approval to adjust your budget lines 3. Please send the original invoice, with the PO# written on the Top if not already there, to the Finance Office for Payment. Please indicate Ready for Payment with your Cost Center Administrator s signature. a. With your Munis Access Research tools you will now be able to track payment of your invoices PO Central, Invoice Central, Vendor Central b. Close the PO once it is complete unless it is an open (blanket) PO that needs to stay open for future invoices.

Please see Account Modification/Transfer Form on Please see Account Modification/Transfer Form on Page 9 of the Handout. The Handout has been sent Page 9 of the Handout. The Handout has been sent to you electronically to you electronically. $$$$$ $$$$$ This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed

Thank You for Taking Some of Your Valuable Thank You for Taking Some of Your Valuable Time for this Procurement Refresher! Time for this Procurement Refresher! - We understand that this is not necessarily your primary concern at this moment! - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, contact us with any questions! - The Finance Team wishes you a great year with your students!