COVINGTON, Ga. - The Newton County School System has been awarded the prestigious 22nd Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award (AEP) for 2017 from the National Purchasing Institute (NPI).
The award recognizes excellence in procurement by measuring organizations against standardized benchmarks that represent best practices within the profession. These criteria include innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity and leadership. NCSS was one of six school systems in Georgia and one of only 27 school systems throughout the United States and Canada to receive the award for 2017. This is the sixth consecutive year the procurement department has won the AEP Award.
“Procurement plays a critical role in the life of an organization,” Greg Goins, procurement coordinator for the school system, said. “The department is responsible for the acquisition of goods and services, for the management and administration of contracts, for assuring the continuity of supply to meet service needs, and for maximizing cost reduction and cost avoidance for the school system. Because it is inextricably connected to so many departments and functional units, it has the capability, if properly utilized, to provide real, strategic value to the organization.
“Our team is cognizant of its position, duties, and the responsibilities and opportunities inherent therein. They work hard to deliver superior service and savings to the school system and community at large. I am proud of our team, and pleased to see their efforts recognized within the procurement profession via the AEP award.”
“The Newton County School System Procurement Department excels in providing the highest quality of procurement services to our district,” Dr. Craig Lockhart, deputy superintendent for NCSS, said. “They adhere to best standards in this field, and our school system benefits from their judicious practice. We are very proud of the work and efforts of our procurement team.”
In addition to NPI, the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award is sponsored and recognized by over a dozen professional public procurement associations and organizations, including the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO), the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP), and the National Institute of Governmental Procurement (NIGP).
