It is the responsibility of each component university's Purchasing Department to organize and administer procurement of supplies, equipment and services for the University of Houston System in a manner that will result in the best value and price for the component university in conformance with established ethical practices. This administrative memorandum describes guidelines to ensure that this responsibility is met.
Purchase orders are a particular type of contract.
For information on contracts in general, refer to UH System Administrative Memorandum 03.A.05, Contract Administration. Subject to state rules and regulations, the Purchasing Department has final discretion and authority for vendor selection and award. The Purchasing Department is required to adhere to the GSC's policy regarding competitive bidding, but may consider other factors including quality, reliability, expected life span and compatibility with existing equipment. It is the responsibility of the component university Purchasing Departments to issue and maintain records of purchase orders. The GSC has delegated to the chief executive officers of all state agencies authority to make certain types of purchases.