CPPO Procurement Planning and Needs Assessment Flashcards

What is a spend analysis, and why is it used in procurement planning?

Answer: A systematic review of organizational spending to identify savings opportunities and consolidation potential

Spend analysis reviews historical expenditure data to uncover consolidation opportunities, preferred supplier patterns, and cost reduction strategies.

In public procurement, 'piggybacking' on another agency's contract is permissible when:

Answer: The original contract explicitly allows it and pricing remains competitive

Piggybacking is allowed when the original solicitation and contract expressly permit cooperative purchasing by other agencies.

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'requirements definition' in procurement planning?

Answer: Clearly specifying the goods, services, or outcomes the agency needs before soliciting bids

Requirements definition translates the agency's need into clear, measurable specifications that guide vendor responses.

A public agency is planning a multi-year IT services contract. Which consideration is most critical during the planning phase?

Answer: Aligning contract duration with budget authority, technology refresh cycles, and anticipated scope changes

Multi-year IT contracts must balance budget appropriation limits, technology lifecycles, and flexibility for evolving requirements.

What role does a procurement officer play during the needs assessment phase?

Answer: Collaborating with end users to translate operational needs into accurate, unbiased procurement specifications

The procurement officer bridges the gap between user requirements and compliant, competition-ready specifications.

Which practice helps prevent 'specification wiring' in a public procurement?

Answer: Writing performance-based or outcome-based specifications that describe what is needed, not a specific product

Performance-based specifications focus on desired outcomes, allowing multiple vendors to compete with equivalent solutions.