AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Award of Excellence in Procurement

Who will be considered?

  • Institutions may be nominated by others or may apply for themselves.
  • Each applicant institution must submit documentation describing their communications technology endeavors, products, or services which demonstrate excellence and professionalism as defined in the Evaluation Criteria. A letter from the institution's President or senior administration in support of the contribution of the department to the institution's mission is also required.

How are winners selected?
Winners are selected by the NAEP Awards Committee on the basis of the procurement department's contribution to, and support of, the mission of their institution. Applications are evaluated on the basis of: scope and complexity of the endeavor, technological leadership, benefit to the institution and key constituents, and demonstration of excellence and professionalism. The endeavor, product, or service should be innovative and exemplary, and provide significant advantage to the institution, faculty, staff, and/or students.

Awards may be given to institutions in each of three enrollment categories: Category 1, fewer than 5,000 students; Category 2, 5,000-15,000 students; Category 3, more than 15,000 students.

Schedule

  • February 15, 2013 -- Application deadline
  • February 28 -- Committee notifies applicants / Selection of winners
  • Early Spring -- Announcement of Winners at NAEP’s Annual Meeting & Exposition

Evaluation Criteria
I. Description of Endeavor, Product, or Service
Briefly describe what was done, where, when, by whom, and for what purpose. Identify key goals and objectives. Explain aspects of this undertaking that make it unique and worthy of recognition: Does it promote community outreach? Was a unique partnership formed? Did you obtain creative funding or receive high profile media attention or coverage? Indicate contact person, providing name, title, and address as well as telephone, fax, and electronic mail numbers.

II. Planning, Leadership, and Management Support
Briefly describe the scope, complexity, and nature of planning process required for approval and implementation of the endeavor. Key factors which should be highlighted are vision, strategies, goals, objectives, risks, exposures, organization dynamics, leadership skills, technical competencies, organization culture, and operating environment. How does the effort integrate with the institution's vision, long range plans, business plans, human resource and student affairs programs?

What are specific examples of the level of commitment and involvement by top management? Describe resource commitments/allocation.

Describe the planning tools, database, and integrity of historical and current data and information for communications technology planning, decision making, control, and assessment of the endeavor.

III. Promotion of Procurement and Maturity of Effort
What is the current state of procurement services at the institution? What are the key benefits of the endeavors of procurement to the institution, its environment, or well being of its constituents? How does this endeavor integrate with other services and plans? What approaches were used to introduce and promote this project/development and idea to management and various user personnel?

When was the endeavor initiated? How was the effort conceived? Is the approach original, or was it an existing approach tailored to fit the organization's needs? How extensive is the effort within the institution? How does this endeavor compare to the current state of the art in the industry and other institutions of similar size and focus?

IV. Quality, Performance, and Productivity Measurements
What types of quality, performance, and productivity measures were used? How were they linked to the overall improvement effort? How were these measures communicated to the organization? What, specifically, is measured? How did you determine what to measure? What categories of information were collected? How do results compare to indicators established?

V. Cost, Benefit, and Risk Analysis
This section should outline the key components of direct and indirect cost, benefit quantification, risk/exposure quantification, and organizational impact.

VI. Customer Satisfaction and Results To Date
Describe key user involvement with the planning and implementation of the endeavor and related products and services. What has been the reaction of various users to the endeavor? What types of evaluation instruments were used to assess user satisfaction? How does this compare to original plans and expectations? What unanticipated challenges and problems were encountered and how were they resolved?

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about the Procurement Excellence Award
Q. What is the Awards Committee really looking for in a successful application?
A. The Committee carefully reviews the responses to each question on the application form. Since the amount of information that can be provided may be extensive, the Committee needs concise answers that will stand out from among the other applications received.

Q. Can I self-nominate?
A. Absolutely.

Q. Can I nominate another institution?
A. Yes, nominations can be received from peer institutions or companies wanting to share unique projects they were aware of. However, it is important to notify the institution that you would like to nominate them as you need their cooperation to complete the application.

Q. I'm from a small school - how can I possibly compete with a project at a school five times my size?
A. Your application will only be reviewed within your peer enrollment group. Each year, applicants are divided into three categories: fewer than 5,000 students; 5,000 - 15,000 students; and, more than 15,000 students. Awards may be given annually to institutions in each category.

Q. Who sits on the Awards Committee?
A. The Awards Committee consists of the NAEP Board Members with an NAEP staff liaison and the CEO.

Click HERE for the Nomination Form.

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Bert C. Ahrens Achievement Award

Purpose
To recognize a former or present Member who has made outstanding contributions to NAEP and the procurement profession over an extended period of time. This award is the highest form of recognition offered by the Association.

Nomination Criteria
The Nominee shall be recognized for outstanding contributions to NAEP and the procurement profession throughout a lengthy career of service. The individual shall be one who has demonstrated continued loyalty and dedication to the Association and, through this example, provided inspiration to others. The individual shall be one whose contributions to strategic procurement have elevated the awareness of the procurement profession.

Contributions should meet the following criteria:

  1. They are the result of resolved or persistent personal endeavor.
  2. The Nominee shall have clearly demonstrated a predominant personal effort without which the contributions would not have been made.
  3. The result or effect must be pervasive and demonstrably beneficial to the aims and goals of NAEP.
  4. The result or effect shall have contributed to the elevation and acknowledgement of the procurement profession in higher education.

The Nominee may be contacted to verify and add data to the recommendation received.

Submission Guidelines
Eligibility
A nominee must be, or have been, an active employee of a current Member Institution of the National Association of Educational Procurement and not a current Member of the Association’s Board of Directors.

Nomination Procedure
Nominations must be made by an active Member, in writing, on a Member Institution’s letterhead or on-line when applicable. Self-nomination endorsed by another eligible recipient is encouraged. For on-line submissions, Members are required to fill out separate forms for each nomination made.

Click HERE for the Nomination Form.

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NAEP Bob Ashby Mentor of the Year

Criteria: This Award recognizes an individual who has been a mentor to a Member. The nominee is someone who is an active Member of NAEP, cares about the success of the Member, their organization and ultimately the profession.

  • The nominee passes on his/her learned experience and knowledge.
  • The nominee continuously promotes a sense of camaraderie within the profession, promotes team spirit within the Member's department, and facilitates positive communications.
  • The nominee has not only shown the Member the science of purchasing but also the art of purchasing within our higher education environment.
  • The nominee has shown the Member how to navigate the politics within the Member's institution.
  • The nominee introduces the Member to people who can be influential in the Member's career.
  • The nominee inspires the Member to achieve professional goals and provides valuable assistance to the Member in achieving those goals.
  • The nominee is the go-to person for answers to especially vexing problems.
  • The nominee will be the person the Member remembers when someone asks the Member how he or she got started in purchasing.
  • Nomination: Complete an application on why you feel the nominee has been a great mentor. Examples are always helpful.

Click HERE for the Nomination Form

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Distinguished Service Award

Purpose
To recognize individual Members who have provided extraordinary service to their institutions, the higher education community, the Association or the purchasing profession.

Nomination Criteria
This award will be given to those individuals who have contributed continued and/or extraordinary service to the purchasing profession and NAEP at the Regional or National level. These people have personally incorporated one or more of the following aspects of “Distinguished Service” into their role as an NAEP Member:

  1. Generating original, strategic, and innovative procurement-related solution(s) for their institution.
  2. Extraordinary assistance to NAEP and/or institution of a strategic nature.
  3. Mentored new members of the profession and inspired other procurement professionals to become active in the Association or pursue advancement within the profession.
  4. Helping to bring credit to NAEP and/or their institution with exceptional contributions to the procurement community.
  5. Helping to enhance the objective and excellence of the NAEP and/or their institution by obtaining achievements that display personal initiative and creativity.
  6. Contributing a one-time, outstanding effort that involved considerable risk.

Submission Guidelines
Eligibility
A nominee must be, or have been, an active employee of a current Member Institution of the National Association of Educational Procurement and not a current Member of the Association’s Board of Directors.

Nomination Procedure
Nominations must be made by an active Member, in writing, on a Member Institution’s letterhead or on-line when applicable. Self-nomination endorsed by another eligible recipient is encouraged. For on-line submissions, Members are required to fill out separate forms for each nomination made.

Click HERE for the Nomination Form.

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Nancy Tregoe Scholarship

Purpose
To provide professional development opportunities for a current Member who has made contributions to NAEP and E&I.

Nancy Tregoe served as the Director of Purchasing and Administrative Services for Lafayette College for more than 25 years. Nancy was Past President of the National Association of Educational Buyers and a long-time member of the E&I Board of Directors. Nancy was a very special friend, a devoted colleague and a tireless advocate for small school issues.

The Nancy Tregoe Scholarship was created to honor Nancy's legacy and to encourage others to become active in NAEP.

Award Criteria
The Applicant shall demonstrate a commitment to NAEP and E&I and an interest in professional growth and development.

The Applicant may be contacted to verify and add data to the application received.

Click HERE for the Nomination Form.

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Neil D. Markee Communicator of the Year Award

Purpose
To recognize a Member who made the most outstanding contribution to the profession during the year through the written or spoken word.

Nomination Criteria
This award may be granted as a result of outstanding performance in one or more of the following activities:

  1. Teaching purchasing-related subjects at institutes or workshops sponsored by NAEP or another educational organization.
  2. Writing and having published articles directed toward the betterment of the purchasing profession.
  3. Representing the purchasing profession or NAEP through speaking or writing engagements to the general public.

Submission Guidelines
Eligibility
A nominee must be, or have been, an active employee of a current Member Institution of the National Association of Educational Procurement and not a current Member of the Association’s Board of Directors.

Nomination Procedure
Nominations must be made by an active Member, in writing, on a Member Institution’s letterhead or on-line when applicable. Self-nomination endorsed by another eligible recipient is encouraged. For on-line submissions, Members are required to fill out separate forms for each nomination made.

Click HERE for the Nomination Form.

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NAEP Volunteer of the Year Award

Purpose
To acknowledge and recognize the voluntary achievements of a current Member who has contributed time and resources to benefit the overall goals of NAEP.

Nomination Criteria
The Nominee shall have exhibited extraordinary voluntary service and commitment to the mission of NAEP.  The individual shall have demonstrated a record of service evidenced by a meaningful commitment of effort and time.

Nominations shall meet the following criteria:

  • Actively participates in the activities of NAEP at the national level in the past year
  • Supports and upholds the aims and goals of NAEP
  • Makes an outstanding contribution to the Association through volunteer service
  • Demonstrates exceptional commitment, service, creativity, and cooperation
  • Inspires others to engage in volunteer activities

Submission Guidelines

Eligibility:
A nominee must be, or have been, an active employee of a current Member Institution of the National Association of Educational Procurement and not a current Member of the Association’s Board of Directors.

Nomination Procedure:
Nominations must be made by an active Member, in writing, on a Member Institution’s letterhead or on-line when applicable.  Self-nomination endorsed by another eligible recipient is encouraged.   For on-line submissions, Members are required to fill out separate forms for each nomination made.

Click HERE for the Nomination Form.

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Young Professional in Procurement Award

Purpose
To recognize the efforts of an outstanding young procurement professional. This award will be presented to a young professional that is an active Member of NAEP and has made great strides and contributions to the education procurement industry.

Who will be considered?

  • All award candidates must be Members in good standing of NAEP.
  • Candidates may be nominated by others or may apply for themselves. Nominated Members must have fewer than 10 years experience in the education procurement industry and be 40 years old or less and must be an NAEP Member for at least one year.
  • Each applicant must submit documentation describing their professionalism. A letter from the applicant’s supervisor in support of the contribution to the department is strongly recommended but not required.

How are winners selected?
Winners are selected by the NAEP Awards Committee on the basis of the applicant’s contribution to and support of procurement in their department.

Criteria for Nomination
Candidates must submit a brief biography including accomplishments and accolades within the industry and the reason they are being nominated. Some criteria to consider as an example:

  1. Candidate has actively participated in meetings and other functions of the Association. Candidate has also demonstrated service to the Association through one or more of the following:
    - Service/contributions/accomplishments at an regional or national level
    - Service/contributions/accomplishments as a Member of an official NAEP Committee, Program, or Regional Committee, etc.
    - Service/contributions/accomplishments as a Member of an official NAEP Educational program or special project
    - Authorship of a publication, article, or presentation at an NAEP Annual Meeting or educational program.
    - Other voluntary contributions of time, effort, resources, and leadership abilities to promote and enhance NAEP and the educational procurement profession.
  2. Other Considerations: Networking / social activities that allow young professionals to meet other young professionals; taking a leadership role in their jobs, community or Association; career development activities that may include receiving purchasing designations, attending the NAEP Procurement Academy, volunteering for an RFP Bid Team, etc.; promoting procurement on campus to customers to enhance service and increase procurement’s influence.

Up to a maximum of three awards may be given annually as decided by the Awards Committee.

Schedule

  • Fall Regional Meeting Time: Nominations Open
  • February 15, 2013 -- Application deadline
  • February 28 -- Committee notifies applicants / Selection of winners
  • Early Spring -- Announcement of Winners at NAEP’s Annual Meeting & Exposition

Click HERE for the Nomination Form.

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Achievement of Excellence in Procurement®

The Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award (AEP) is earned by public and non-profit organizations that obtain a high score based on standardized criteria.  When the program was established in 1995 by the National Procurement Institute, the founders identified five key categories as benchmarks of procurement excellence.  The criteria are designed to measure:

  • Innovation
  • Professionalism
  • Productivity
  • Leadership
  • e-Procurement

This program encourages the development of excellence as well as continued organizational improvement to earn the award annually.

The objectives of the AEP program are to:
1.  Recognize organizational excellence in public and non-profit procurement,
2.  Encourage development of excellence,
3.  Provide benchmarks for continued excellence, and
4.  Increase awareness of public procurement as a profession.

The AEP Award is sponsored by the following associations:
• National Procurement Institute • Institute for Supply Management • California Association of Public Procurement Officials • Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials • NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement • National Association of State Procurement Officials • National Association of Educational Procurement • Texas Public Purchasing Association• National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance • U.S. Communities • Airport Purchasing Group • Universal Public Procurement Certification Council

Your Public or Non-Profit Agency is eligible to apply
All sizes and types of public and non-profit organizations have been successful applicants.  Counties, cities, school districts, states, special districts, and universities, both public & private, are eligible.  The award is received by all that attain a minimum score of 100 on a rating of standardized criteria.  In order to receive consideration for the award, organizations are required to submit a detailed application with supporting documentation.  The evaluation is conducted by an independent committee.

The Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) application may be reviewed and downloaded from www.npiconnection.org/aep.
Questions or suggestions may be directed to Christine Green, C.P.M., Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Committee Chair, and Purchasing Agent, City of University Park, Texas, 214-987-5480

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David H. Lord E&I Cooperative Purchasing Award

David Lord's 12 years of dedicated service on the E&I Board of Directors left an indelible mark upon the Cooperative's history. Throughout his time as Board of Directors President, David consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership in meeting the diverse needs of our Membership.

The David H. Lord Award was created to acknowledge and recognize a Member who has made exceptional contributions to E&I over a comprehensive period of time through volunteerism in the area of Cooperative Purchasing as exemplified by David Lord.

To nominate an individual for the David H. Lord Cooperative Purchasing Award, please review the Nomination Criteria and fill out the online Entry Form.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Eligibility: A nominee must be, or have been, an active employee of a current Member Institution of the National Association of Educational Procurement and not a current Member of the Association's Board of Directors or Awards Committee.
  • Nomination Procedure: Nominations must be made by an active Member, in writing, on a Member Institution's letterhead or on-line when applicable. Self-nomination endorsed by another eligible recipient is encouraged. For on-line submissions, Members are required to fill out separate forms for each nomination made.
  • Click HERE for the Nomination Form.
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