Kansas Department of Administration 2006 Annual Report.pdf

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Even with all of the internal projects going on in 2006, the main focus of the Department continues to be serving our customers. Putting the Shared Services model into action in 2006 meant building on the successes ofthe previous three years, while also reaching out to more agencies and more customers to provide better services. Below are some highlights from the year. Reaching Out to Vets First enacted in the 19 111 Century, Veteran's Preference has long been a part ofthe State of Kansas hiring system. Since the enactment ofthe Kansas Civil Service Act in 1941, veterans of the Armed Forces have been given some degree of preference in hiring. Veterans' preference laws do not guarantee the veteran a job. Preference does not have as its goal the placement of a veteran in every vacancy, but rather providing increased opportunity in recognition of the economic loss suffered by citizens who have served their country in uniform. In 1995, the State Civil Service discontinued certified rank lists of eligibles, but required "under no circumstances shall veterans be accorded any less preference than existed prior to July 1, 1995". In 2003, the Division of Personnel Services modified K.A.R. 1-6-21 regulation requiring agencies to interview all veterans who meet minimum requirements for the class. This modification to the regulations gave veterans a better opportunity to be hired into state classified civil service jobs, compared to what existed prior to 1995. In addition, it gave veterans' preference in internal agency actions such as promotion, transfer, reassignment, and reinstatement. Recent statistics indicate veterans returning from service in the Middle East had a much higher rate of unemployment than their peers. With that in mind, the Division ofPersonnel Services increased its efforts not only in state hiring, but in assisting veterans in fmding employment in the private sector. The Veterans Employment Report outlines these efforts. Among new initiatives are Helmets to Hardhats and Partnership for Youth Success. And, in keeping with the Shared Services model, DPS has worked very closely with the Department of Commerce in reaching out to veterans. This was also part of DPS' 2006 Applicant Workshops, held this fall in Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City. In addition, DPS has improved its e-mail outreach to applicants and employers. All told, these new services are helping Kansans find not only state jobs, but jobs in the private sector, a great example of Shared Services in action. 8 ~ '--.!_ __ _
Finding Savings Through Shared Services: The Anatomy of a Procurement Negotiating Committee By statute, the Department of Administration has oversight over most procurement functions for the State of Kansas. While the traditional concept of state purchasing has been "low bid," the needs of a modem state government require more flexibility and greater ability to fully bring to bear the purchasing power of a large organization. The Negotiated Procurement process is based upon the concept of"Best Value" and enables agencies to consider many factors in the evaluation of bid responses beyond cost, including vendor qualifications, past performance, methodology, among others. With this additional flexibility comes additional responsibility in terms of documenting actions taken throughout the bid process, the task of evaluating technical and cost proposals, and in preparing a written justification for actions taken and award recommendations. Many of the success stories of the past four years, as documented in prior annual reports, have come to fruition thanks to usage of the Procurement Negotiating Cmrunittee (PNC). The Division of Purchases, as with standard bid documents, is always responsible for preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP). However, once the bidding process has ended, the work of the PNC begins. At bid opening, only the names of bidders are announced. The PNC then undertakes a thorough review of first the technical proposals of a bid, and then the cost proposals of a bid. After that review, one or more vendors are invited to negotiate. Negotiations will include revised offers, as well as opportunity for discussion and Q & A. Once a review of the final offers, both technical and cost, has been completed, a recommendation is made for award, accompanied by full documentation for that recommendation. While more complex than simply opening and determining the "best bid," the Negotiated Procurement process not only allows opportunities for lower costs, but also for better services, through the review of both the cost and technical aspects of a contract. As part of an effort in 2006 to fully develop the shared services model, the Division of Purchases made an effort to increase personal connections with both agencies and vendors to keep costs low, improve understanding of procurement laws and practices, including the increased usage of Negotiated Procurement, and to increase understanding of D of A staff of the procurement work performed by our clients, and the impact that D of A decisions can have on those clients. A major aspect of Shared Services for the Division of Purchases has been an expansion of Contract Development Meetings to reach out to clients. 9
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Kansas Department of Administration 2006 Annual Report.pdf

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