Source: http://www.state.wv.us/admin/purchase/Handbook/2007R23/hand8.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 03:14:07+00:00

Document:
The procurement of certain commodities and services have limitations or require special procedures.
8.1.1 Projects Exceeding $250,000: In the procurement of architectural and engineering services, including those professional services of an architectural or engineering nature, for projects estimated to exceed $250,000 (construction cost and architectural fees), an Expression of Interest shall be requested of interested firms by the Purchasing Division. Special procedures in the selection of architectural and engineering services are required in accordance with Chapter 5G of the West Virginia Code. Agencies must use the standard EOI format for projects expected to exceed $250,000.
The expression of interest shall include a statement of qualifications and performance data and may include anticipated concepts and proposed methods of approach to the project. The project must be announced by public notice.
(c) Interview each firm on the short list and discuss anticipated concepts and proposed methods of approach to the assignment, including clarification of qualifications and performance data, the scope of services offered and needed time to complete project.
The committee will rank no less than three (3) firms deemed to be the most highly qualified on the basis of the matters discussed during the interview, in order of preference, and present such list to the state agency and the Purchasing Division. The committee will forward its recommendation to the Purchasing Division along with a written justification as to the selection of the firm. The justification must provide a score sheet with complete explanation of all points deducted to clearly indicate how the firms were ranked. The committee will then commence negotiations as to scope of service and price with the highest qualified firm.
If the agency fails to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the highest qualified firm at a fee determined to be fair and reasonable, negotiations as to scope of services and price with the firm of second choice will commence. Failing that, negotiations as to scope of service and price will be undertaken with the third most qualified firm. In no situation, after negotiations have been terminated with a firm, will negotiations be reopened.
If the agency fails to negotiate a satisfactory contract with any of the selected firms, in order of their competence and qualifications, they will rebid.
8.1.2 Projects $250,000 or Less: In the procurement of architectural and engineering services for projects estimated to cost less than $250,000 (which includes construction cost and architectural fee), competition shall be sought by the agency.
The agency shall conduct discussions with three (3) or more firms solicited on the basis of known or submitted qualifications for the assignment and the scope of services prior to the awarding of any contract. The Purchasing Master Terms and Conditions must be included with the negotiated contract that is submitted to the Purchasing Division, so that all vendors are aware of the requirements of the potential contract.
Price may not be discussed prior to selecting the highest rated firm.
The agency and the initially selected firm shall further develop the scope of services and, at this time, discuss price. If negotiations fail to result in a satisfactory contract, the agency may commence negotiations with the next ranked firm in the same manner, continuing until a satisfactory contract is negotiated.
Once negotiations conclude with the selected vendor, the agency must send the negotiated contract to the Purchasing Division to be properly executed.
If a judgment is made that special circumstances exist and that seeking competition is not practical, the agency may, with the prior approval of the Purchasing Director, select a firm on the basis of previous satisfactory performance and knowledge of the facilities and agency’s needs.
Change order for projects estimated to cost less than $250,000 (which includes construction and architectural fee) that far exceeds $250,000 may not be approved and may necessitate a rebid.
8.2.1 State Capitol Complex: Pursuant to the West Virginia Code §4-8-5, No contract or contracts which will result in physical changes to the state Capitol or any approaches, structures or facilities incidental thereto shall be let, nor shall any physical changes be made not requiring a contract, until approval of the commission has been obtained.
The Code requires the Capitol Building Commission to review and either approve or reject all plans recommending substantial physical changes inside or outside the state Capitol or surrounding complex, including the public meeting rooms, hallways and grounds which affect the appearance thereof. The surrounding complex shall include the governor's mansion and other buildings used by the governor as part of his residence; the state science and cultural center; all state office buildings located in the immediate vicinity of the state Capitol and the roadways, structures and facilities which are incidental to such buildings. Substantial physical change means any permanent physical changes that alter the appearance of the public areas of the Capitol and surrounding complex.
The approval of the Capitol Building Commission is mandatory before any contract may be bid for work requiring a substantial physical change, or before changes are initiated if the work is not done under a contract.
8.2.2 State-Owned Office Buildings: Pursuant to the West Virginia Code §4-8-4, The Capitol Building Commission shall review and approve or reject all plans recommending substantial physical changes inside or outside the state capitol building or surrounding complex, including the public meeting rooms, hallways and grounds, which affect the appearance thereof. The approval of the commission is mandatory before a contract may be let for work which constitutes a substantial physical change, or before changes are started if the work is not done under a contract. As used in this article, the surrounding complex shall include the governor's mansion and other buildings used by the governor as part of his residence, the state science and cultural center, all state office buildings located in the immediate vicinity of the state capitol, and the roadways, structures and facilities which are incidental to such buildings. As used in this article, substantial physical change shall include, but not be limited to, permanent physical changes that alter the appearance of the public areas of the capitol building and surrounding complex. The secretary of the department of administration shall promulgate rules and regulations, pursuant to the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, which rules and regulations shall be subject to the approval of the capitol building commission, to implement the provisions of this article. In addition, West Virginia Code §4-8-4 states that no contract or contracts which will result in physical changes to the capitol building or any approaches, structures or facilities incidental thereto shall be let, nor shall any physical changes be made not requiring a contract, until approval of the commission has been obtained.
The West Virginia Code §5A-6, requires that the Chief Technology Office (CTO), in conjunction with the Information Services & Communications Division (IS&C) of the Department of Administration, review and approve all data processing procurements for state agencies.
All infrastructure purposes, regardless of dollar value, require CTO approval prior to submission of a request to use any type of solicitation. Since the CTO may require changes by the agency, the Purchasing Division’s review of documentation without CTO approval may not be practical. All state entities, with the exception of Constitutional Officers, Higher Education and K-12, shall request approval for, at a minimum, but not limited to, the purchase of servers, storage device, routers, hubs, switches, firewalls, video conferencing and telephone equipment, including PBX system. The applicable infrastructure purchases also include infrastructure software of all types, whether it is e-mail applications, anti-virus software or any other interoperability application.
Different than infrastructure purchases in the previous paragraph, state agencies may procure computer application software and other non-infrastructure software, as well as IT consulting services with an estimated value of less than $10,000 without CTO approval, but must provide copies of agency purchase orders to the CTO. All purchases of computer hardware, software and consulting services in excess of $10,000 must have prior approval of the CTO before it can be processed. Such proposed purchases must be submitted to the Office of Technology for review and evaluation, and the results will be forwarded to the CTO for final approval.
The agency must obtain approval from the CTO prior to submitting purchasing transactions to the Purchasing Division.
8.4 Design Services or Consultant: Any individual, corporation, or firm (except as provided by a statewide contract) paid to custom design or write specifications for a modular office system, computer system, construction or any other project or contract shall not be permitted to competitively bid to provide the product or service that was designed. This removes the possibility of the designer developing specifications that only the designer can meet or restrict another vendor from meeting. This also prevents the appearance of any impropriety, thereby protecting the integrity of the competitive bid process.
Agencies may call vendors for information or copies of specifications for consideration of a particular brand or manufacturer without jeopardizing the vendor's ability to compete in the bid process as long as the vendor does not receive compensation or any form of favoritism.
8.5 Sole Source Purchases: A sole source purchase is a transaction in which a purchase is made for a commodity or service that is unique and possesses specific characteristics that are available from only one known source.
For additional information on sole source procurements, please visit Section 4.7.1.6.
8.6 Emergency Purchases: In accordance with the West Virginia Code §5A-3-15, purchases may be necessary to be made when unforeseen causes arise; however, emergency purchases are not used for hardship resulting from neglect, poor planning or lack of organization by the spending unit.
For additional information on emergency purchases, please visit Section 4.7.1.4.
8.7 Lease or Lease Purchase of Equipment: Lease or lease purchase of equipment are methods by which a state agency may obtain equipment and make payments for the use of the equipment over a period of time.
Leases and lease purchases are subject to annual funding authority of the Legislature. The state agency must provide the required funding over the life of the agreement. A reduction in funds or an administrative freeze shall not be sufficient justification to cancel a lease or lease purchase agreement. No lease or lease purchase can be canceled without approval of the Purchasing Division.
State agencies may be authorized by the Purchasing Division to purchase equipment currently under lease if the Purchasing Division competitively bid the lease originally. Each request will be evaluated on its own merits by the Purchasing Division. Approval is required by the Purchasing Division.
The minimum purchase price for this method should be $100,000. Borrowing money is discouraged; however, if it is critical to the operation to gain financial assistance, it is vital to prepare a letter of justification and submit to the Purchasing Division. A mandatory statewide contract for financing is available to all agencies.
State agencies must complete a Cooperative Purchasing Request, Justification and Approval form (WV-40) to request that the Purchasing Director consider granting the state agency permission to purchase from one of the above contract categories. The completion of this form is required for each subsequent purchase from the respective contract unless the Purchasing Director designates the identified contract as mandatory. Contracts identified as mandatory do not require submissions of the WV-40 for each purchase.
The Cooperative Purchasing Request, Justification and Approval (WV-40) requires the agency to indicate the type of contract (public cooperative entity, such as NASPO, WSCA, NJPA; federal government, such GSA; state entity other than West Virginia; West Virginia state entity; or another public body); contract name and number; contract purpose; cost of contract purchase; verification requirements, including a copy of the valid contract and the release order; identification of existing state contracts; and West Virginia vendor impact.
Should a state agency receive approval through the WV-40 process from the Purchasing Division to piggyback an existing contract, the agency must submit a Requisition, attaching the WV-40, indicating a release to the approved contract. Please note that certain additional Purchasing Division forms, such as the Agreement Addendum (WV-96) , Purchasing Affidavit, Certificate of Non-Conflict, may be applicable.
7.9.1. The Director may approve a request by a spending unit to make a purchase from contracts issued by agencies of the federal government, agencies of other states, other public bodies or other state agencies. The Director may require the use of a contract issued by another public organization or a spending unit to make a purchase from contracts issued by other public agencies and entities.
(c) Does not cause extensive hardship to any spending unit offered preference under the West Virginia Code.
7.9.2. All requests to use such contracts shall be submitted in advance to the Director with necessary evidence and documentation. The Director shall approve only those requests submitted with evidence that justifies use of such contracts. Any request that is not supportable shall be returned to the spending unit.
8.9 Prevailing Wage Rates: Fair minimum rate of wages, including fair minimum overtime and holiday pay, determined by the West Virginia Division of Labor, that must be paid to laborers, workmen, or mechanics on all contracts for the construction of a public improvement.
8.10 Printing and Printing Equipment: All printing and binding services must be performed by Correctional Industries or a letter of refusal must be attached to the Requisition (over $25,000), or maintained with agency invoice or purchase order file ($25,000 or less).
8.11 Professional Services: Professional service contracts provide a mechanism to acquire specific professional expertise. Unless specifically covered in Section 9, professional services shall be competitively bid.
8.12 Rentals: Rentals require an Agreement Addendum (WV-96) and shall not exceed thirty (30) days.
8.13 Telecommunications Systems: All telephone systems with a total cost (purchase price or total of lease purchase payments, including maintenance if selected by the agency at the time of award) over $25,000 must be bid through the Purchasing Division. Upgrading of existing systems may be considered a sole source purchase, if the displaced equipment represents less than 50% of the present day dollar value of the existing equipment, and the equipment remains under the terms and conditions of its original maintenance agreement. Expansion of existing systems not involving an upgrade and/or added features may be considered sole source purchases if the equipment remains under the terms and conditions of its original maintenance agreement.
All telecommunications systems, upgrades and expansions, regardless of cost, must be approved prior to bidding by the Information Services and Communications Division. All telecommunications purchase orders greater than $25,000 must be approved by the Chief Technology Officer of the Governor's Office of Technology. Evaluation of bids will include installation, training and post-warranty maintenance. This policy is vitally important to maintain the integrity and compatibility of the state's massive voice and data telecommunications system.
8.14 Vehicles: Approval by the Fleet Management Office is required to purchase vehicles, unless statutorily exempt. Any request under the authority of the Fleet Management Office to increase an agency's fleet size must be approved by the Executive Director of the Fleet Management Office. Vehicles ordered from the statewide contract, with options not included on the statewide contract, require a written quote (dealer cost) from the vendor, written agency justification, and approval of the Purchasing Director. All vehicle purchases, regardless of dollar amount, must be processed through the Purchasing Division. Purchases of vehicles from Surplus Property are exempt from Purchasing Division approval, but still must obtain Fleet Management Office approval.
8.15 Used Property: State agencies may purchase used property through the normal competitive bid process after first checking the item availability with the West Virginia State Agency for Surplus Property and documenting this contact in the official file. In accordance with the Code of State Rules, 148CSR7.5.6, the Purchasing Director shall issue prior approval or disapproval for used equipment to be purchased directly without competitive bids. If disapproved, the Purchasing Director shall return the request to the spending unit and direct another method of purchasing.
8.16 Banking Goods and Services: The Office of the State Treasurer must approve the acquisition of any kind of banking goods or services, which includes accepting payments and receiving funds via electronic commerce. Agencies must submit a request to the Office of the State Treasurer before issuing any Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotation (RFQ) or entering into any contract with another entity for banking goods or services, in accordance with West Virginia Code §12-1-7 and §12-3A-6.
8.17 Radios and Microwave Equipment: In accordance with Governor's Executive Order 2-11, any purchase by a state spending unit or state agency, including purchases on behalf of state agencies, of two-way radio, microwave or satellite equipment and related services, or purchases that utilize state or federal funds distributed to local entities by the state of West Virginia which are not listed on the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee's State Interoperable Radio Network (SIRN) Approved Compatibility Equipment List, shall obtain the prior written approval of the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) for any proposed purchase of goods and services. SWIC approval or verification that the equipment is on the Approved Compatibility Equipment List must be submitted with the Requisition to the Purchasing Division.
All contractual documents for two-way radio, microwave or satellite equipment and related services, including, but not limited to, land or tower leases, memorandums of understanding/agreement, training contracts, agreements or services, and purchasing or service contracts related to two-way radio, microwave or satellite equipment and related services for any agency of the state of West Virginia, and all local entities of the state of West Virginia which utilize state or federal funds distributed by the state of West Virginia, must be reviewed and approved by the SWIC to ensure compatibility with the SIRN, to promote the best possible value in purchasing, and to ensure all agencies participating in the SIRN and needing equipment and related services are covered by contractual documents. Questions may be directed to the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator at (304) 766-5899.
8.18 Grants: In accordance with West Virginia Code §5A-3-11(i), a grant awarded by the state is exempt from the competitive bidding requirements, unless the grant is used to procure commodities or services that directly benefit a spending unit. If a grant awarded to the state requires the procurement of commodities or services that will directly benefit a spending unit, the procurement is not exempt from the competitive bidding requirements. If a grant awarded to the state requires the state to transfer some or all of the grant to an individual, entity or vendor as a subgrant to accomplish a public purpose, and no contract for commodities or services directly benefitting a spending unit will result, the subgrant is not subject to the competitive bidding requirements.

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