By Sherry DiBari
Old Dominion University Procurement Services is one of only 12 higher education institutions to be recognized with the 26th Annual Achievement of Excellence Award from the National Procurement Institute (NPI).
The award is a testament to the outstanding level of professionalism of the Procurement Services team members in their mission to enable, partner and serve the campus community," said Etta Henry, director of Procurement Services.
Procurement Services works collaboratively with campus departments and vendors to ensure strategic and efficient purchasing processes for the campus community.
This prestigious award, open to public and nonprofit agencies, is earned by organizations that "demonstrate commitment to innovation, professionalism, productivity, e-procurement and leadership attributes."
The University has garnered the award annually since 2005.
NPI is a nonprofit, founded in 1968, that serves public procurement professionals internationally.
Candidates for the award must demonstrate excellence based on 18 standardized criteria including:
-establishment of a "procurement ethics" policy
-an established procurement staff "professional development" program
-utilization of electronic commerce and automated technology
-professional certification
-sustainable procurement program
-cooperative procurement strategy
-continued pursuit of excellence
There were 181 successful applicants in 2021, including 64 cities, 41 counties, 36 special districts, 19 school districts, and seven state or provincial agencies and two others.
