[Archived] National Institute of Governmental Purchasing Honors City of Alexandria

City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

For Immediate Release
September 22, 2004
PIO 227-04/rdo

National Institute of Governmental Purchasing
Honors City of Alexandria
Purchasing Office Recognized with Outstanding Agency Accreditation Award

The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) has presented the City of Alexandria’s Purchasing Office with the prestigious Outstanding Agency Accreditation Award. The award recognizes the office for outstanding leadership in the public procurement profession. The City becomes one of 76 governmental or private agencies to receive the award since the award’s inception in 1999.

The award serves as part of a program designed to work as a self-evaluation process based on the NIGP’s agency accreditation criteria. Agencies complete and submit an Accreditation Criteria Form, and indicate the award level sought and include it with the application. Agencies must achieve at least 90 points to receive an Outstanding Agency Accreditation Achievement Award.

The form has a total of 83 mandatory questions valued at 1.25 points each and 28 optional questions valued at .5 points each. The maximum possible score an agency can achieve is 117.75 points. The City of Alexandria’s Purchasing Office scored a total of 103.25 points.

The NIGP’s Accreditation Criteria Form analyzes an agency’s mission and strategies; organization; authority and responsibility; planning and scheduling; standards and specifications; personnel and professional development; best practices; audit evaluation; property management; cooperative purchasing; automated purchasing systems; and electronic commerce.

The NIGP is a professional organization that seeks to enhance public procurement, promote the profession and preserve the public trust by providing expertise, direction and leadership from its members.

Only seven other Virginia jurisdictions have received the Outstanding Agency Accreditation Award.

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