Fiscal Fitness Events

"Open for Business" Workshop  (Workshop Brochure)

Daniel W. Majcher Director, Fiscal Fitness Program

The Department of Administration's Fiscal Fitness team, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation's Procurement Technical Assistance Center ("PTAC"), and the state Division of Purchases have been receiving high marks for the recent, first-of-its-kind vendor-assistance training program held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. Over 150 vendors, municipal purchasing agents and state officials attended.

Entitled "Open for Business," the half-day workshop highlighted recent improvements and additions to the way the state makes purchases and does business with vendors. The target audience was primarily small Rhode Island businesses registered through the PTAC program. The message to these Rhode Island Vendors was that State Purchasing wants competition for government business. The workshop resulted in fifty Rhode Island vendors registering with State Purchasing. More vendors mean more competition translating into better prices for the state and greater value. At the same time, small Rhode Island businesses will have an opportunity for economic development. "Our goal at the Procurement Technical Assistance Center is to educate small Rhode Island businesses on the state and federal government procurement process," said Dorothy Reynolds, PTAC's Program Manager. "We are here to help small business owners and this event on state purchasing was a huge success."

Comments received from workshop attendees reflect the change in Rhode Island government. Said one: "It's nice to see the state being so pro-active." Another: "[DOA Executive Director] Mr. Stern's talk about "transparency" in the purchasing process is a hopeful sign of better government." And another: "It was obvious that a substantial amount of planning went into this and I am sure the majority of attendees found it to be very informative and beneficial. Great job and thank you again!"

Specific improvements highlighted at the event include better notification of bid opportunities, streamlined processes to facilitate faster payment to vendors, and "Reverse Auctions," which are real-time, on-line bidding periods where pre-qualified vendors compete to assure that the state gets the best price possible for goods and services.

Presentations

• What's New at the RI Division of Purchases (Presented by Brian Stern)
  
• Purchasing From an Agency's Perspective (Presented by Tracy Williams)
  
• The RI Procurement Technical Assistance Center (Presented by Dorothy Reynolds)

Lorraine Hynes Assistant Director for Special Projects Brian P. Stern: Executive Director / Purchasing Agent	Dorothy Reynolds Program Manager, RI Procurement Technical Assistance Center