The Georgia Department of Transportation’s (Georgia DOT) Office of Procurement, Operational Procurement Section has been awarded the prestigious 26th Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) for 2021 from the National Procurement Institute (NPI).  The AEP award is earned by public and non-profit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence. This annual program recognizes procurement organizations that embrace innovation, professionalism, productivity, leadership and e-Procurement.

“We are honored to be one of only seven state agencies in the United States and Canada to receive the 2021 AEP award,” said Mary Zirock, CPPB, GCPA, Georgia DOT’s assistant chief procurement officer – operations. “We are proud to be recognized for this award for three out of the last four years and to join the ranks of our professional peers as we continue to move the department forward. With our supportive leadership, and our top-tier procurement team, we will continue to drive change and remain leaders within the procurement profession in the state of Georgia.”

The AEP program encourages the development of excellence as well as continued organizational improvement to earn the award annually. For 2021, there were 181 successful applicants including 64 cities, 41 counties, 36 special districts, 19 school districts, 12 higher education agencies, 7 state or provincial agencies and 2 others across the United States and Canada. 

To be considered for the international recognition, supporting documentation for each of the following areas had to be included in the application:
 

• eManuals for Procurement and Pcard Policy/Procedures

• Professional Development Program

• Internal/External Customer Survey

• Internal/External Customer Training

• Formal Supplier/Contractor Training

• Performance Metrics

• Centralized Procurement Functions

• Organizational Structure

• Internet Home Page

• Online Electronic Vendor Registration

• Posting Notifications and Distribution of Solicitations

• Comprehensive Audit Program for Procurement and Pcard

• Staff Members with National Certification for Procurement Designations

• Leadership Positions at National and/or State Associations

• Ongoing Education of Professional Staff

• Presenter/Author or Panel Member on National and/or State Associations.

In addition to the NPI, the AEP is sponsored by the California Association of Public Procurement Officials (CAPPO), Canadian Public Procurement Council (CPPC), Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials (FAPPO), National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP), National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO), NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement and the Texas Public Purchasing Association (TxPPA). The AEP is supported by the Airport Purchasing Group (APG), OMNIA Partners, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) and the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC).