Formal recognition to come at conference in October
Sarasota County has earned the 2017 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) award from the National Procurement Institute (NPI) for the third consecutive year, the county has announced.
“This achievement honors organizational excellence in public and non-profit procurement, provides benchmarks for continued excellence and increases awareness of public procurement as a profession,” a news release explains.
“This accomplishment reflects the hardworking, professional efforts of Sarasota County’s procurement team, the strength of our internal processes, and the [County Commission’s] ongoing commitment to transparency and stewardship of public dollars,” said Sarasota County Administrator Tom Harmer in the release.
“NPI established the AEP in 1995, with criteria designed to measure innovation, professionalism, productivity and leadership attributes of an organization’s procurement practices,” the release points out. The AEP Evaluation Committee, which measures those criteria, comprises procurement officials from around the country, the release adds.
Sarasota County will be honored at NPI’s 49th Annual Conference and Products Exposition in October, the release notes.
“We pride ourselves on practicing responsible procurement, developing new procedures and providing the best service to the community. It’s an honor to be recognized by those in the procurement profession,” said Kim Radtke, director of the county’s Office of Financial Management, in the release.