The National Program to Benchmark Organizational Excellence in Procurement
In 1995, the National Purchasing Institute established a program designed to recognize organizational excellence in public procurement. The Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) is awarded annually. This prestigious award is earned by those organizations that demonstrate excellence by obtaining a high score based on standardized criteria. The criteria are designed to measure innovation, professionalism, productivity, e-procurement, and leadership attributes of the procurement organization.
In addition to the National Purchasing Institute (NPI), the AEP is sponsored by the California Association of Public Purchasing Officers (CAPPO), Institute for Supply Management (ISM), Florida Association of Public Purchasing Officers (FAPPO), National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO), and National Association of Educational Buyers (NAEB). Associate sponsors are the Airport Purchasing Group (APG), Texas Purchasing Management Association (TPMA), The Innovation Groups (IG), U.S. Communities, and the National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance (National IPA).
You do not have to be a large jurisdiction or city to be successful. All sizes of organizations have been successful in the past. Various types of jurisdictions have won. Counties, cities, school districts, states, special districts, and universities, both public and private, are eligible. View the list of recipients.
You can establish the likelihood of success of your organization by viewing the application. Review the criteria and determine your score. Although an independent committee conducts the official evaluation, an objective self-evaluation will give you a good idea of your success
Additional questions may be addressed to Beth Fleming, C.P.M., CPPO, Director of Purchasing, Denton County, TX, and Chair, Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Committee, 940-349-3130, or beth.fleming@dentoncounty.com.
