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General FAQ- State and County Personnel

 

  1. What is Procurement Delegation Authority and how do I know if I have been delegated procurement authority?
  2. How do I know which workshops I need to take?
  3. Where can I find which workshops I have taken?
  4. What is Hawaii Compliance Express?
  5. What is Proof of Compliance/ Compliance Documentation?
  6. What is HePS?
  7. How can state/county personnel get access to HePS?
  8. Where can I find price list and Vendor list contracts?
  9. What is the difference between a Price List contract and a Vendor List contract?
  10. How do I buy from price list and vendor list contract?
  11. What is WSCA?
  12. What is a pCard?
  13. Where can I find information about Travel Procedures and forms?
  14. What is surplus property?
  15. What is excess property?
  16. Where online can I find procurement statutes and administrative rules?
  17. What are procurement circulars and procurement directives?
  18. Where online can I find procurement circulars and directives?

 

 

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What is Delegated Procurement Authority and how do I know if I have been delegated procurement authority?

Procurement authority. the ability to procure, rests with the chief procurement officer (CPO) who may delegate such authority.  For the executive branch, the chief procurement officer has delegated procurement authority to the heads of departments.  Procurement Memoranda state that if heads of departments wish to delegate authority further, the chief procurement officer must be notified in writing (Form SPO-036). If you have been delegated procurement authority, you have completed an SPO-036 and submitted it to your department for approval by the department director and subsequent submission to SPO.  Contact your department Administrative Services Office or Business Management Office to verify you have delegated procurement authority before purchasing.  Part of having delegated procurement authority is the requirement to take appropriate workshops prior to procuring.  See the Training Requirements section of the SPO website and the Procurement Circulars on Training.

 

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How do I know which workshops I need to take?

Step-by-step instructions are given on the SPO website in the Training for State and County Personnel section on the  Training Requirements web page.

 

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Where can I find which workshops I have taken?

SPO issues a Report of Attendance on a quarterly basis.  Contact your SPO Training Point-of-Contact.

 

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What is Hawaii Compliance Express?

The HCE is an electronic system that allows vendors doing business with state or county agencies to quickly and easily obtain proof that they are compliant with applicable laws. The HCE certificate, "Certificate of Vendor Compliance," is submitted in place of a tax clearance, labor certificate, and a Certificate of Good Standing required in Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §103D-310(c) and Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) §3-122-112. This certificate of vendor compliance shall also be utilized as proof of tax clearance and good standing for contracts for health and human services pursuant to HRS chapter 103F.

See the FAQ on Hawaii Compliance Express for more information.

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What is Proof of Compliance/Compliance Documentation?

All vendors doing business with the State are required  to comply with all applicable statutes, administrative rules and procedures.  State agencies must verify compliance prior to award.  Acceptable verification for the State is through Hawaii Compliance Express. Vendors wishing to do business with the state must register in Hawaii Compliance Express.

Once a vendor is registered, Hawaii Compliance express (HCE) provides the following proof of compliance/compliance documentation:

Hawaii Compliance Express

When vendors  subscribe to Hawaii Compliance Express, they have a simple one-stop online procedure for providing documentation and may manage their compliance for a nominal cost of $12/year.  State agency procurement personnel may view compliance status eliminating the need to supply hard copies of the Certificate of Compliance.  For more information and registration see Hawaii Compliance Express. Please note that it may take two or more weeks to establish a vendor account in Hawaii Compliance Express and it is recommended vendors register in Hawaii Compliance Express as soon as possible and prior to responding to a a solicitation.

Vendors should subscribe to Hawaii Compliance Express upon deciding they are interested in competing for state awards for goods, services or construction. If a vendor is not registered and compliant in Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE) upon notification or intent to award, another vendor may be awarded.

Having trouble with your Hawaii Compliance Express standing or need to contact the departments directly?  See the above Departmental websites check or check the appropriate HCE contact information.

See also the Frequently Asked Questions about Hawaii Compliance Express.

 

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What is HePS?

HePS is the Hawaii electronic Procurement System for the State of Hawaii, a system for issuing solicitations, receiving responses, and issuing notices of award.  Our eProcurement system is hosted by SicommNet and has the following elements:

  1. Vendor registration: Vendors register on HePS by enter standard information such as company name and address,  and create a profile identifying the categories of goods, services or construction the vendor provides.  Government purchasers can search HePS prior to solicitation to ensure vendors are registered for the goods, services or construction they need to procure.
  2. Electronic Solicitations: Government purchasers (called buyers in HePS) enter their solicitation on electronic forms and may attach files, if needed.  Once released, posted on the internet via HePS the electronic solicitations are available in a standard format to vendors registered on HePS.
  3. E-mail notification: Each evening e-mails are sent to vendors registered for the categories of goods and services being procured, providing a link directly to the solicitation.  Amendments are also issued electronically with e-mail notifications sent to vendors.
  4. Submission of electronic quotes. Vendors submit quotes electronically in as few as three clicks and may also add comments or attach files as appropriate.  A vendor may amend the quote electronically as many times as necessary up to the submission due date and time.
  5. Electronic award: Once a solicitation closes, the HePS buyer reviews the submissions.  When a decision is made, the buyer notifies the vendor on HePS and the awarded vendor receives a notice of award in an e-mail.  Non-selected offerors are also notified.
  6. Searchable:  Because the solicitations, responses, and notices of award are electronic, data is kept in a database and is searchable.  Vendors and buyers may search awards and solicitations.

 

 

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How can state/county personnel get access to HePS?

HePS is not just a posting site and each individual having access to the sites must be properly trained and have authority.  Executive personnel must have delegated procurement authority to use HePS.  Each executive Department and participating CPO jurisdiction has a HePS Administrator whose responsibility is to oversee the HePS program which includes assigning accounts (login/passwords) to buyers.  Contact your Department/CPO jurisdiction HePS administrator for information on the specific procedures for your department/CPO jurisdiction.  For CPO jurisdictions that do not have an account, one must be set up upon approval of the CPO and a CPO Jurisdiction HePS Administrator delegated before individual accounts can be assigned.

 

 

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Where can I find Price List and Vendor List contracts?

Price and Vendor list contracts are located on the SPO website.  Link to the Price and Vendor list contracts from the SPO home page and  many of the SPO web pages on the right under Information.

Note that you may search the list by number, effective date, and key words in the title by using the Search box at the top of the listing.

 

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What is the difference between a Price List contract and a Vendor List contract?

A price list contract (PL) is a group of common items or services competitively bid to set the prices contractually for a specified time period. A vendor awarded a price list contract is obligated to provide the specified goods or services, at the contracted price and terms, to all purchasing agencies committed to the contract.

A vendor list contract (VL) is comprised of qualified vendors that were competitively solicited to provide specified goods and/or services (i.e. Copiers and Facsimile Equipment, WSCA Computer Equipment and Services, etc.) for a specified period and usually at discount rates from a vendor's established catalog or product lists.

 

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How do I buy from Price and Vendor List contracts?

Personnel purchasing from an SPO price or vendor list are required to take appropriate training.  Purchasing from each price and vendor list varies depending on a number of factors including such as, whether it is a price or vendor list and the nature of the goods or services.  Each price or vendor list has specific instructions on how to purchase from the list. Should personnel have questions, each price and vendor list has contact information for each participating CPO jurisdiction.

 

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What is WSCA?

WSCA is the Western States Contracting Alliance.  It is comprised of 15 western states of which Hawaii is a participating member. The purpose of WSCA is to achieve price discounts by combining the requirements of multi-state governmental agencies and cost effective and efficient acquisition of quality products and services through cooperative procurement. The lead-state model is used for procurements.

Notices of WSCA procurements in which Hawaii may participate are advertised on the Procurement Notices website.

For more information about WSCA see the WSCA website.

 

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What is a pCard?

The pCard (purchasing card) program is similar to a credit card and is designed to streamline the payment process for small purchases.  It replaces the labor-intensive purchase order system by allowing employees to charge small purchases from vendors without having to prepare a purchase order and subsequently processing an invoice.  The cards are the property of the government and are issued to responsible, trained employees to make official purchases.  The pCard program improves management controls, provides expenditure data, increases purchasing efficiency and allows payment to vendors by the card issuer generally within a few days of purchase.

Note that the pCard is a method of payment and does not replace procurement procedures.

 

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Where can I find information about Travel Procedures and forms?

You can find travel procedure information and forms on the SPO website in the For State and County Personnel section.  The forms are also accessible from the SPO forms webpage

 

 

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What is surplus property?

"Surplus personal property" means any personal property that no longer has any use to this State or personal property acquired from the United States government.  "Surplus personal property" includes obsolete, scrap, and excess personal property that has completed its useful life cycle.

 

 

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What is excess property?

Excess State Property means any property owned by the State of Hawaii that has a remaining useful life but is no longer required by the custodial department or agency.

 

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Where online can I find procurement statutes and administrative rules?

Procurement Statutes and Administrative Rules are on the SPO website.  There are links to procurement statutes and rules on the SPO web pages on the right  under References

 

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What are procurement circulars and procurement directives?

Issued by the Chief Procurement Officers, procurement circulars provide more information or clarification on procedures in Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) or Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR).  They are updated as needed.  Part of the responsibilities of delegated procurement authority, is to ensure you are up to date on all procurement requirements.  Check the procurement circulars each time you procure.

Procurement Directives are issued by the Procurement Policy Board to transmit the Hawaii Administrative Rules and policies.

 

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Where online can I find procurement circulars and directives?

Procurement circulars and directives are on the SPO website.  There is a link to the procurement circulars and directives on the SPO web pages on the right under References.

 

 

 

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