PURCHASE ORDER DESK PROCEDURES PO DOCUMENT TYPE

PURCHASE ORDER DESK PROCEDURES PO DOCUMENT TYPE DESK MANUAL FOR DOCUMENT APPROVERS

INTRODUCTION This desk manual highlights the essential information for department approvers to consider when reviewing purchase requisitions and purchase orders. It describes the review and approval criteria to ensure compliance with the City s policies and procedures. WHAT IS A PURCHASE REQUISITION AND PURCHASE ORDER (PO)? Departments issue purchase requisition requests to procure goods or services to City Purchasing. Requisitions leading to the creation of standard purchase orders go through the review and approval path of the requisitioning departments with final approval by authorized Purchasing staff. Approved departmental requisitions in the City s Financial Analysis and Management Information System (FAMIS) Purchasing become purchase orders. Purchase order requisition is used to purchase commodities as opposed to the procurement of personal services, or leasing or renting equipment. Requisition is not an actual contract but a request to Purchasing to enter into a contract. When the requisition is entered into FAMIS Purchasing System, funds are pre-encumbered. The issuance of a standard purchase order liquidates the requisition and creates an encumbrance in FAMIS. Certification of available funds for all purchases, contracts, and other obligations is done by posting an encumbrance transaction in FAMIS. Departments should familiarize themselves with procurement-related sections of City Codes, such as the Charter, Administrative Code, Annual Appropriation Ordinance, year-end instructions, or special directives or guidelines from the Office of Contract Administration/Purchasing and the Controller s Office. I. TYPES OF REQUISITION A. Requisition Bid Purchase Order B. Requisition Bid Blanket Purchase Order Purchase Order C. Requisition Purchase Order Bidding is not required on the following categories of purchases: 1) Items covered under the conditions of a Term Contract - concentrates the City s buying power by consolidating purchases and promoting standardization of items. Purchasing already conducted the bidding and awarded the contract to a vendor. 2) Items with a total price of $10,000.00 or less Regulation 21.5A (Appendix A) 3) No other source Regulation 21.5B (Appendix B) 4) Certain perishable foods Regulation 21.5C (Appendix C) 5) Proprietary articles Regulation 21.5D (Appendix D) 6) Contract awarded by the State of California bidding has already been conducted by the State. 7) Reciprocal buying agreements with other public agencies in the State of California. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 2 of 17

II. PURCHASES NOT HANDLED VIA PURCHASE REQUISITIONS A. Construction services B. Professional services C. Leasing or rental of equipment D. Travel and training expenses and reimbursements E. Conference and registration fees F. Employee related expenses G. Organization memberships, dues & subscriptions H. Postage III. CREATING, REVIEWING, AND APPROVING REQUISITIONS Departments should ensure requisitions have accurate information and compliance with procurement requirements. If the requisition is not properly completed, the department will experience delay and/or rejection of the requisition. Valid Match Types Ensure appropriate input of valid match type and document level matching. Progress match type is used for one commodity line item such as professional services while 2- way match type is commonly used for supplies and equipment where there are at least two commodity line items. Document level matching is either 10% or $1,000 tolerance (whichever is less), or no tolerance. Proper selection of document level matching is critical since it puts restriction on invoice payment. If the matching chosen is no tolerance, FAMIS Purchasing System will not allow payment of an invoice that is more than the amount on the purchase order. If payment exceeds the purchase order amount, additional steps need to be taken, e.g. a change order to modify the amount, cancel the PO, or reissue a new PO. This will consequently delay payment of the invoice. MATCH DESCRIPTION RQ PO TYPE AA Progress match type; document level matching, 10% or N/A Y $1,000 tolerance, whichever is less AB Progress match type; document level matching, no tolerance N/A Y 2A 2-way match type; document level matching, 10% or $1,000 N/A Y tolerance, whichever is less 2B 2-way match type; no tolerance N/A Y H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 3 of 17

Valid Purchasing Authority (PA) The purchasing authority entered on the document must be appropriate to the goods or services being procured. If the purchase is a proprietary item such as medicines and drugs, the appropriate PA should be PROP5. If the commodities or services can only be procured from one source, then PA should be NOS. This will assist the Purchaser in selecting the proper procurement mechanism. How purchasing solicits bids depends on the urgency and amount of the need. Purchases over $50,000 must be advertised in the City s official newspaper, in accordance with Section 21.6 of the Administrative Code. Purchases under $50,000 but above $10,000 do not need to be advertised but written bids are submitted. Purchases under $10,000 may solicit bids by telephone or by using a quotation form. For emergency purchases, Purchasing handles the bidding expeditiously and does not need to be advertised. Term contracts are pricing agreements established by Purchasing for goods and services the City uses in large amounts. If items requested for purchase are covered by term contracts, departments should reference the term contract number in the purchase requisitions. Proprietary articles should be procured in accordance with the Purchaser s regulations. Purchasing uses the terms proprietary and no substitute as purchases where no alternate brand or model will be considered or accepted. Although an item may be considered proprietary, it may still be subject to competitive bidding if there is more than one source of supply for that item. Departments need to obtain approval from the Office of Contract Administration (OCA) and Human Rights Commission (HRC) on sole source contracts. All sole source purchases must be justified with documentation from the requesting department and must be approved by authorized OCA and HRC officials. The documentation must clearly state why the commodity or services are only available from the single source. Explanations shall also be provided in cases where (1) only one prospective vendor is willing to enter into a contract with the City, (2) item has design and/or performance features that are essential to the department, and no other source satisfies the City s requirements, and (3) provide proof on licensed or patented good or service. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 4 of 17

Refer to screen PCHL5750, Miscellaneous Tables, File Identification PA in FAMIS Purchasing for the different purchasing authority codes with description. PA CODES DESCRIPTION BID Bid OMP Open Market Purchase NOS No Other Source TC81916 Term Contract No. 81916, Safety equipment and supplies TC95218 Term Contract No. 95211, Computer hardware, software, peripherals, maintenance PROP1 Charts, globes and maps PROP2 Books, magazines, pamphlets and periodicals PROP3 Specialized equipment, materials and supplies for instructional purposes. Specialized educational tests and testing services. PROP4 Fine arts; music; plays; works of art; films; audio and video cassettes PROP5 Medicines and drugs PROP6 Medical, surgical and dental equipment; instruments; prosthetic devices, special supplies PROP10 Animals PROP12 Repairs for equipment including service and parts when repairs must be done by the manufacturer, the installer of equipment or system, or when repairs by others would void the warranty. Delivery Date Ensure realistic delivery date of commodities being procured since timing can be critical to protect the City s interests and legal position. Freight Terms The City prefers the use of Free on Board (FOB) destination where title and risk of loss pass to buyer upon receipt of shipment, i.e. the shipper is responsible for initiating claim against carrier. FOB origin or ship point is seldom used because a title and risk of loss pass to buyer when goods leave shipper s dock, i.e. buyer initiates claim against carrier. Payment Terms Departments should take advantage of prompt payment discounts offered by vendors. The preferred term is 2%, 30, net 31, which means that the vendor is offering a 2% discount if the City pays the invoice within 30 days, and full payment after 30 days. Commodity Code Select the proper commodity code that is related to the expenditure sub-object. This facilitates good record keeping and provides accurate statistical reporting. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 5 of 17

Refer to table of commodity codes on screen PCHL1100 in FAMIS Purchasing. PCHL1100 V5.1 LINK TO: CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO--NFAMIS COMMODITY TABLE INQUIRY S COMMODITY NAME COMMODITY ID INV ITEM BPO ITEM COMPUTER CABLE->PC;SUPPL, 9205-91-04 N Y N COMPUTER GRAPHICS/IMAGE RENDERING 7360-25 N Y N COMPUTER HARD/SOFTWARE/SU 9205 N Y N COMPUTER HARDWARE,SOFTWARE,SUPPL 9205 N Y N COMPUTER HRDWR,MINI->MNC; 9205-05-10 N N N COMPUTER HRDWR,MNFR->MFC; 9205-06-10 N N N COMPUTER HRDWR,PC ->PC; 9205-99 N Y N COMPUTER PAPER,CONT->CMP; 9700-07-04 N N N COMPUTER RECYCLING/DISPSL 7320-40-60 N Y N COMPUTER SFTWR,CUSTOM 9205-01 N Y N COMPUTER SFTWR,MINI->MNC; 9205-05-20 N Y N COMPUTER SFTWR,MNFR->MFC; 9205-06-20 N Y N COMPUTER SUPPL,MINI->MNC; 9205-05-30 N Y N COMPUTER SUPPL,MNFRM->MFC 9205-06-30 N Y N COMPUTER SUPPL,PC->PC;SUP 9205-91 N Y N COMPUTER SUPPORT->MFC; 9205-06-90 N Y N SPECS EXIST Vendor Vendor selected should comply with the City s procurement requirements, e.g. business tax, Administrative Code s Chapter 12B Non-discrimination in Contract Ordinance, Chapter 12D MBE/WBE/LBE Ordinance. The vendor number and suffix entered shall point to the proper vendor and vendor address name and address. This ensures that all contract documents, payments and correspondences are sent to the correct vendor. Refer to vendor compliance screen PCHL9560 in FAMIS Purchasing. PCHL9560 V5.1 LINK TO: CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO--NFAMIS VENDOR CLASS/STATUS CODE VENDOR NUMBER: 18814 VENDOR SUFFIX: 01 TURNER CONSTRUCTION CO S CLS STA DESCRIPTION SRT DATE-1 DATE-2 PRE CERTIFICATE FRQ F % BUS TAX EXP DT&CERT NUM 06/30/2009 044545 FO3 YES HRC FORM3 PRIOR HB REQ REQR 12B COMPLY 06/05/1997 HBC YES COMPLIES HBN YES COMPLIES H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 6 of 17

Effective Date Effective date shall correspond to the open fiscal period in FAMIS Accounting. Review the correctness of input to ensure that a document points to the correct fiscal period especially during fiscal year-end when two fiscal years are open. Index Code The index code should point to the proper cost center where funds are budgeted and available for the same purpose. Sub-object The sub-object should point to the proper and budgeted expenditure account that relates to the commodity code. Project/Project Detail Project and project detail should point to the proper and budgeted project account. Grant/Grant Detail Grant and grant detail should point to the proper and budgeted grant account. OCA/Purchasing and grant sub-recipients must be informed of the funding source, if funded by federal, state or local grant, to ensure compliance with grant s procurement and contracting requirements. IV. COMMON PROBLEMS WITH REQUISITIONS A. The requisition is not signed. B. A single order is split into two requisitions. C. Items on a term contract are combined with items not on a term contract, or items on a term contract with one vendor are combined with items with another vendor. D. Unlike commodities are combined on the same requisition. E. Incomplete description of the items to be ordered. F. Manufacturer s literature is not attached. G. Incomplete accounting information, such as index code. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 7 of 17

H. The equipment s budget number is missing. I. The requisition does not contain a reference as to whether the equipment is new or for replacement. J. An example or sample is not attached for specially designed items (e.g. badges, decals, clothing). K. Incomplete delivery instructions for heavy or bulk items. Purchasing and bidders need to know if there is a receiving dock, the delivery point is up two flights of stairs, or there is elevator access. L. The requisition is submitted too close to the end of fiscal year to be processed before the year-end. V. PURCHASE ORDERS A. Creation of the Purchase Order Purchasing Once Purchasing establishes prices and approves the requisition, the purchase order is created in FAMIS Purchasing for interface with FAMIS Accounting. B. Encumbrance of Funds Certification of availability of funds is achieved through an encumbrance when the purchase order is posted in FAMIS. C. Placing the Order - Purchasing Purchasing sends the approved and signed purchase order to the vendor. D. Receiving the Order and Invoice Department The department receives the order and the invoice, and processes the invoice payment in FAMIS. E. Paying the Invoice Department After the department reviews, approves, and posts the invoice and voucher in FAMIS Purchasing, the voucher is interfaced into FAMIS Accounting, a check will be generated the next day or by the due date, and mailed to the vendor. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 8 of 17

VI. CANCELLING A PURCHASE ORDER Certain steps shall be taken quickly to cancel a purchase order after Purchasing has mailed it to the vendor. Reasons to cancel an order include: A. Item is no longer needed B. Requirements have changed C. Vendor fails to perform after you have given sufficient notification D. Vendor cannot meet the required delivery date, and the vendor s fallback delivery schedule is not acceptable Consult with the City Attorney s Office to review the City s legal position before calling a vendor to cancel the order. It should be noted that once the City has placed an order with a vendor, the City has entered into a legally binding contract. Options to cancel the contract are limited, and they may depend on the good will of the vendor. Notify the vendor immediately and ask them to accept cancellation of the purchase order. Then process a document cancellation in FAMIS Purchasing to cancel the encumbrance. VII. COMPLIANCE WITH CITY POLICIES, GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS The following are excerpts from the San Francisco (SF) Administrative Code and City Ordinances applicable to the purchase of goods and services utilizing the purchase order procurement mechanism. A. Chapter 21 of the SF Administrative Code Acquisition of Commodities and Services The Office of Contract Administrative (OCA) promulgates rules and regulations pursuant to Chapter 21 of the San Francisco Administrative Code. Each contracting department shall cooperate to the fullest extent with OCA in the acquisition of commodities and services. Chapter 21 does not apply to contracts for public works or improvements or to contracts for the purchases, sale or lease of any interest in real property. B. Chapter 12B of the SF Administrative Code Non-discrimination in Contracts Ordinance It requires contractors not to discriminate in employment and to establish affirmative action guidelines. Under this Ordinance, Human Rights Commission (HRC) must review and approve companies workforce breakdown data and, where applicable, affirmative action requirements, before the City can award contracts to the companies. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 9 of 17

C. Chapter 12D of the SF Administrative Code MBE/WBE/LBE Ordinance The goals of the Minority/Women/Local Business Utilization Ordinance are to increase the opportunities for local businesses which are minority-owned or women-owned to compete successfully for and to participate in the procurement activities of the City and County of San Francisco, and to compensate partially for the higher administrative costs of doing business in San Francisco. Under this Ordinance, Purchasing and other contracting authorities grant bid or rating preference to MBE/WBE/LBEs that have been certified by HRC, and fulfill other responsibilities. Purchasing conducts outreach to potential MBE/WBE vendors, and publishes a weekly newsletter, Bid and Contract Opportunities, which is mailed to all certified non-profit organizations free of charge and is available to others by paid subscription. D. Article 12A of the SF Business and Tax Regulations Code Business Tax Registration Every person or entity doing business in the City and County of San Francisco must possess a valid Business Registration Certificate from the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector. This code also applies to business located outside of San Francisco that perform business transactions or services in San Francisco. E. Video Display Terminal (VDT) Ordinance Products such as chairs, computer monitors and keyboards, when used under certain conditions, must comply with the City s VDT Ordinance, unless the department informs Purchasing to the contrary. F. San Francisco Electrical Code The SF Electrical code requires businesses in San Francisco to sell, and customers in San Francisco to use, only electrical products which have been tested by an approved testing laboratory. If a product has not been tested, the seller or user must receive approval from the Department of Public Works or Department of Building Inspection. G. Chapter 21G of the SF Administrative Code Preservative-Treated Wood Containing Arsenic Contractor may not purchase preservative-treated wood products containing arsenic unless an exemption is obtained from the Department of Environment. The term preservative-treated wood containing arsenic means wood treated with a preservative that contains arsenic, elemental arsenic or an arsenic copper combination, including, but not limited to, chromate copper arsenic preservative, ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate preservative, or ammoniacal copper arsenate preservative. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 10 of 17

H. Section 67.24 of the SF Administrative Code Sunshine Ordinance Contracts, contractors bids, responses to Request for Proposals (RFPs) and other records of communications between City and persons or firms seeking contracts shall be open to inspection immediately after a contract has been awarded. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 11 of 17

APPENDIXES Appendix A - REGULATION 21.5(a): OTHER PURCHASES: COMMODITIES AND SERVICES LESS THAN $50,000 Appendix B - REGULATION 21.5(b): SOLE SOURCE Appendix C - REGULATION 21.5(c): PERISHABLE FOODS Appendix D - REGULATION 21.5(d): PROPRIETARY ARTICLES Appendix E SOLE SOURCE WAIVER REQUEST FORM APPENDIX A REGULATION 21.5(a): OTHER PURCHASES: COMMODITIES AND SERVICES LESS THAN $50,000 In reference to Administrative Code 21.5(a), the following are regulations for the acquisition of Commodities, General Services and Professional Services where the total amount of the transaction is less than $50,000. Department Heads and their designees who have complied with Regulation 21.03(a) and have been delegated by the Purchaser may purchase Commodities and General Services up to $10,000 (including tax and shipping). Commodities $0 - $10,000 no bidding is required. However, departments are encouraged to solicit written bids or written price quotations especially from LBEs and select the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. For procurement of commodities over $10,000, departments must submit a requisition to OCA. Purchasing approval is required to authorize purchases; and transactions for these amounts are covered by regulations delegating signature authority to Purchasing staff. Formal competitive bidding is required for any amount over $50,000, unless otherwise exempted under Chapter 21. General Services General services are those services that are not professional services. Examples of general services per Administrative Code 21.02(k) include: janitorial, security guard, pest control, parking lot attendants and landscaping services. $0 - $10,000 no bidding is required. However, departments are encouraged to solicit written bids or written price quotations especially from LBEs and select the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 12 of 17

Over $10,000 but less than $29,000 Purchasing conducts informal bidding in accordance with Purchasing and Human Rights Commission requirements. $29,000 or more Purchasing conducts formal bidding in accordance with Purchasing and HRC requirements. Professional Services Professional services are those services which require extended analysis, the exercise of discretion and independent judgment in their performance, and/or the application of an advanced, specialized type of knowledge, expertise, or training customarily acquired either by a prolonged course of study or equivalent experience in the field. Examples of professional service providers per Administrative Code 21.02(n) include architects, engineers, software developers, attorneys, consultants, physicians and dentists. $0 - $10,000 no solicitation is required. However, departments are encouraged to solicit written bids or written price quotations especially from LBEs and select the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Over $10,000 but less than $29,000 informal solicitation is required. Departments are to follow the informal bidding rules established by the Human Rights Commission under Section IV.D of their rules and regulations. $29,000 or more a formal solicitation is required. Departments are to follow the formal bidding rules established by the HRC as set forth in the definition of Good Faith Efforts of a contract awarding authority (see Administrative Code Chapter 14B.7). H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 13 of 17

APPENDIX B REVIEW/APPROVAL CRITERIA FOR FAMIS FINANCIAL DOCUMENT TYPE PO REGULATION 21.5(b): SOLE SOURCE Administrative Code 21.5(b) provides that commodities or services available only from a sole source shall be procured in accordance with the Purchaser s regulations. It shall be the Purchaser s regulations that if a department needs a commodity or service which is unique and known to be provided by only one vendor/contractor, then only one price quotation is solicited from the single vendor/contractor. The requesting department must submit documentation to Purchasing justifying the transaction as a sole source. From time to time, Purchasing may conduct a formal bid to determine the continuing validity of the sole source determination. Sufficient Documentation In submitting Sole Source Waiver Requests (See example in Appendix E), the requesting department must provide a written memorandum and supporting documentation to justify the request. The memorandum must provide specific and comprehensive information that explains why the Sole Source Waiver should be approved. Departments are encouraged to consult with the Human Rights Commission and the City Attorney s Office prior to submitting the waiver. The Sole Source Waiver Request Form identifies four acceptable justifications for sole source contracting. In most cases, the department s justification for making a waiver request should fall within these parameters. If not, additional space has been provided for departments to submit other justification. Among the questions and concerns that must be addressed are as follows: 1. Goods or Services are available from only one source Explain why this is the only product or service that will meet the City s needs. Why is this the only vendor or contractor that can provide the products or services? What steps were taken to verify that the goods or services are not available from another source? Explain what efforts were made to obtain the best possible price. Why do you consider the price to be fair and reasonable? 2. Only one prospective vendor is willing to enter into a contract with the City Explain why no other vendors are willing to contract with the City. If there are compliance issues, what have you done to get other possible sources to become compliant? Have you received a waiver from HRC? 3. Item has design and/or performance features that are essential to the department and no other source satisfies the City s requirements Explain why the design/performance features are essential. Have you contacted other vendors/contractors to evaluate items/services with similar features and capabilities? If no, explain why not. If yes, list the suppliers and explain why their goods or services do not meet the department s needs. 4. Licensed or patented good or service Provide proof that the license or patent limits the availability of the product or service to only one source. 5. Other Provide justification that would substantiate a sole source waiver for any other reason. Finally, the requestor and Department Head, or his or her designee, must be a signatory to the request. Their signature certifies that they have reviewed the specific sole source waiver request and agree with the requestor s justification. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 14 of 17

APPENDIX C REVIEW/APPROVAL CRITERIA FOR FAMIS FINANCIAL DOCUMENT TYPE PO REGULATION 21.5(c): PERISHABLE FOODS Administrative Code 21.5(c) provides that perishable foods shall be procured in accordance with the Purchaser s regulations. It shall be the Purchaser s regulations that when purchasing perishable foods, the Contracting Officer shall attempt to comply with competitive bidding requirements of this Chapter. However, when the situation arises where it is impossible or highly impractical to obtain competitive pricing because of the nature of perishable foods, i.e., freshness and spoilage of perishable items, the Purchaser may procure the items in the most expeditious manner. The Purchaser shall require the requesting department to provide a written justification of the perishable nature of the items and why competitive bidding should be waived. A copy of the justification shall be kept on file with the transaction. APPENDIX D REGULATION 21.5(d): PROPRIETARY ARTICLES Administrative Code 21.5(d) provides that proprietary articles shall be procured in accordance with the Purchaser s regulations. It shall be the Purchaser s regulations that purchasing uses the terms proprietary and no substitute to mean purchases that are made where no alternate brand or model will be considered or accepted. The item must be the one described in the current Proprietary List. Although an item may be considered proprietary, it may still be subject to competitive bidding if there is more than one source of supply for that item. If the item is put out to bid, alternate brands and models need not be considered. Purchasing periodically accepts bids for alternate brands to monitor the appropriateness of continuing to consider certain purchases proprietary. All proprietary purchases must be justified with documentation from the requesting department and must be approved by the Purchaser within his/her approval limits. The documentation must clearly state why only one make or model will meet the department s needs. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 15 of 17

APPENDIX E (Sample only, use the most updated form from the Intranet, under Forms.) Sole Source Waiver Request Administrative Code Section 21.5(b) provides that commodities or services available only from a sole source shall be procured in accordance with Purchaser s regulations. Purchaser s regulations provide that, If a department needs a commodity or service which is unique and which is known to be provided by only one vendor, then only one price quotation is solicited from the single vendor. The requesting department must submit documentation to the Purchaser justifying the transaction as a sole source. From time to time, the Purchaser may conduct a formal bid to determine the continuing validity of the sole source determination. (Procurement Instruction 12.06, Exhibit A, Section IX.D, dated April 28, 1989) Directions: Use this form to justify a sole source transaction. The department requestor must complete the information below and attach a written memo with appropriate supporting documentation to justify this request. The memo must provide specific and comprehensive information that explains why the requested transaction should be considered a sole source. Departments are encouraged to consult with the Human Rights Commission and the City Attorney prior to submitting this request. Department: Date Submitted: Contact: Phone: Vendor Name: Vendor # Type of Commodity Professional Service Non-Professional Service Contract: Other Amount: $ ADPICS Doc #: Describe the product or service: Has the Human Rights Commission granted a sole source waiver on this transaction? If yes, when was the sole source granted? Please attach a copy of the HRC Waiver. Check the appropriate statement. Attach a memo and documentation to address the questions following each statement. Goods or services are available from only one source. Explain why this is the only product or service that will meet the City s needs. Why is this the only vendor or contractor that can provide the services or products? What steps were taken to verify that the goods or services are not available from another source? Explain what efforts were made to obtain the best possible price. Why do you feel the price to be fair and reasonable? How was this vendor chosen? How long has the vendor been providing goods or services for your department? Only one prospective vendor is willing to enter into a contract with the City. Explain why no other vendors are willing to contract with the City. If there are compliance issues, what have you done to get other possible sources to become compliant? Have you contacted HRC? Have you received a waiver from HRC? Item has design and/or performance features that are essential to the department, and no other source satisfies the City s requirements. H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 16 of 17

Explain why the design/performance features are essential. Have you contacted other suppliers to evaluate items/services with similar features and capabilities? If no, explain why not. If yes, list the suppliers and explain why their goods or services do not meet the department s needs. Licensed or patented good or service. Provide proof that the license or patent limits the availability of the product or service to only one source. Other: Sole Source Waiver Request INSTRUCTIONS: The Sole Source request must be approved before the department makes a commitment to the vendor, and before funds are encumbered. If the Sole Source request is denied, the department will be advised to conduct a competitive process to select the vendor/contractor. If the Sole Source request is to extend an existing professional service contract, attach a copy of the original contract and any prior sole source determinations made by HRC or Purchasing. When processing professional service contracts and modifications for signature, attach the approved sole source waiver form to the contract documents. This form is required for every transaction, contract, or contract modification that the department wishes to be treated as a sole source. For additional information call the Purchaser assigned to your department. The Department Head must sign this request before it is sent to OCA-Purchasing. This Sole Source request is being submitted by: Department Head Signature: Date: Name of Department: OCA Review and Approval: Sole Source Approved: Sole Source Denied: Reason for Determination OCA Staff: Date: OCA Staff: Date: OCA Director: Date: H:\BAT\Desk Procedures\PO Desk Procedures.doc Page 17 of 17