State Procurement Training and Certification Program (August 2007)
The North Dakota Procurement Officer Certification Program was established by the Office of Management and Budget State Procurement Office in 2002 to provide employees responsible for purchasing with training related to the type of procurement they conduct. The goal of this program is to increase the professionalism, skills, and accountability of individuals who purchase for the state. This training fosters ethical conduct, compliance with state purchasing laws and rules, and increased efficiency and effectiveness of the state procurement program. Contact the State Procurement Office at 701-328-2740 for assistance.
Program Levels
North Dakota Procurement Officer Certification
program consists of three levels of procurement complexity. Each level
provides core training that is a building block for the next higher level.
Level 1 Certification.
Level 1 Certification is intended for state employees who make small purchases
up to $2,500. Employees can achieve Level 1 Certification by completing
one (1) of the following:
- Reading the North Dakota Level 1 State Procurement Manual. Individuals
who make purchases $2,500 and below may become certified by reading this
manual and completing the certification in the back of the manual. Access
the manual here ND
Level 1
State Procurement Manual.
OR
- Attend the Level 1 Small Purchase Course. Employees who will be seeking Level 2 or 3 certification are required to attend this course. This course provides an overview of the state procurement program, ethics, specification writing, informal purchase procedures, preference laws, purchasing cards, and State Procurement online resources. (4 hours)
Level 2 Certification. Level 2 Certification is intended for employees who make purchases up to $25,000. Employees can achieve Level 2 certification by attending:
- Level 1 Small Purchase Course. (Reading the Level 1 State Procurement Manual will not meet this requirement.)
- Level 2 Course. This course provides an overview of risk management, vendor registration, limited and noncompetitive procurements, and protests (4 hours).
Level 3 Certification. Level 3 certification is intended for employees who make purchases over $25,000. Employees can achieve Level 3 certification by attending:
- Level 1 Small Purchase Course
- Level 2 Course
- Level 3 Course. This course provides an overview of Invitations for Bid, Request for Proposals, and Contract Administration.
Certification and Delegation
After completing the appropriate training, employees must receive delegated purchase authority from their agency head or designee using the Delegation of Purchase Authority form, SFN 2566. Level 1, 2, or 3 Certification does not guarantee the agency head will grant an employee purchase authority for a specific dollar level.
Training and Certification
A procurement officer is the person responsible for the procurement and who is held accountable, although others may perform some of the actual work. This person may or may not bear the job classification of buyer, procurement officer, or purchasing agent. An individual who performs the following procurement tasks must be certified:
- Is designated as the agency’s lead procurement officer
- Makes small purchases and uses a state purchasing card
- Issues and amends informal or formal solicitations
- Serves as the point of contact to address procurement questions for a solicitation
- Makes an award determination and issues a Notice of Intent to Award
- Prepares Alternate Procurement Request forms for limited competitive and noncompetitive purchases
- Makes determinations as required by state procurement laws and rules
- Responds to protests
Not everyone in the procurement process needs to be certified. For example, individuals do not need certification to purchase from state term contracts or government sources of supply, submit a purchase request, develop specifications, receive and open bids or proposals, or participate in an evaluation process. A certificated procurement officer needs to oversee this work and sign all appropriate documents and determinations. Individuals do not need to be certified to approve purchase orders or purchasing card purchases, receive commodities, or authorize payment. In addition, agency heads or their designees that sign contracts and Alternate Procurement forms are not required to be certified.
Partial or Provisional Procurement Certification
Employees who have limited training or experience may be granted a partial
or provisional procurement certification from the OMB State Procurement
Office that will be valid for a limited period during which the employee
must attend the required certification courses. Until the employee
completes training, the agency must oversee the employee’s work to
ensure compliance with state procurement laws, rules, and OMB directives.
Substitution of Training
Individuals may substitute a professional purchasing/contracting certification
(i.e. A.P.P., C.P.M., or C.C.P.O) or other formal procurement training
for any or all of these courses. The OMB State Procurement Office
will approve or disapprove substitute courses on a case-by-case basis. When
requesting a substitution, include a description of the course content
and completion certificate. The content of substitute courses must
satisfy the intent and course objective of the corresponding state certification
course. Agencies may also work with the OMB State Procurement Office
to develop training specific to their agency.
Recertification
The North Dakota Procurement Officer Certification Program may be periodically
updated to reflect changes in statutes, rules, policies, and OMB directives. The
OMB - State Procurement Office will announce re-certification requirements
as needed.
Effective August 2007: All state employees with Level 2 or 3 procurement certification must complete the 2007 Recertification Course or retake the Level 2 Course by July 31, 2008. Employees who attend the Level 2 Course after April 2007 are not required to attend the recertification course. Check the State Procurement Officer Certification Schedule for time and dates.
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