Procurement Manuals

Level I Procurement Manual
Level II Procurement Manual
Level III Procurement Manual

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Procurement Academy? (see below)
• When and where is the Procurement Academy offered? (see below)
• Where can I sign up for the Procurement Academy classes? (see below)
• What are the new certification and recertification requirements? (see below)
• What if I need to be certified now? (see below)
• What are the differences between certifications and delegations? (see below)
• What if I won’t be performing procurements above $5,000? (see below)
• Who can I talk to about enrolling in the Procurement Academy, my current certification or delegation, or anything else related to purchasing authority? (see below)
• How do I know where I am in the certification/recertification process? (see below)

What is the Procurement Academy?

The Procurement Academy is a onetime training class that was created to allow new employees a high-level overview of the procurement process. The training touches on elements they will need to know and will allow new employees to become certified at the appropriate level with the understanding that employees will gain more in-depth knowledge needed by attending recertification classes offered by the Office of Procurement and Property Management and conducting solicitations under the guidance of their Department Program Managers.

The Procurement Academy consists of three classes. Each class is designed to give the new procurement professionals the building blocks they need to become certified to perform procurements above $5,000 on behalf of the State of Alaska:

Level I
Half-day class (3-hour class)
The Level I course covers an introduction to procurement, how to conduct small procurements, a review of the competitive process, and basic contract administration. Upon completion of this course, individuals will be granted a Level I certification which is required to perform small procurements between $5,000 and $25,000.

Level II
Half-day class (3-hour class)

The Level II course covers small procurements for $25,000.01 to the small procurement threshold of $100,000. requests for alternate procurements (RFP), and procurement ethics. Upon completion of this course, individuals will be granted a Level II certification, which is required to perform small procurements between $25,000.01, and $100,000. 

(The Procurement Academy Level I is a prerequisite for this course, reading the Level I online manual will not meet the requirements.)

Level III
6-hour class
The Level III course covers competitive sealed bids (ITBS), competitive sealed proposals (RFPS), and protests & violations. Upon completion of this course, individuals will be granted a Level III certification, which is required to perform large and/or alternate procurements greater than $100,000.
(The Procurement Academy Level II is a prerequisite for this course.)

The Procurement Academy is intended for new certifications only. Procurement Academy courses do not count towards recertification. 

Upon completion of the Procurement Academy courses, students will be granted the appropriate certification in the AspireAlaska system and those who have earned a level I, Level II or Level III certification will be issued a printed Procurement Officer Certificate.

Completing the Procurement Academy certifies that you have received the necessary training to perform procurements, you must still have a delegation of purchasing authority before you can do so. See: What are the differences between certifications and delegations? below.

When and Where is the Procurement Academy offered?

The Procurement Academy is offered monthly. Check online in the AspireAlaska Training System. Contact the Office of Procurement and Property Management at (907) 500-8317 if you would like to request extra Procurement Academy offerings in your area or assistance.

Where can I sign up for the Procurement Academy classes?

Once the classes are scheduled, you may self-enroll with your State of Alaska username and password in the AspireAlaska system. If you have any trouble, or if you do not have a SOA username, contact the Office of Procurement and Property Management at (907) 500-8317 for help.

What are the new certification and recertification requirements?

• LEVEL I PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATION
  Required for procurement officers that perform small procurements from $5,000 to $25,000.
  
  Recertification Requirements: Level I Procurement Academy is required every 3 years. The Level I Procurement Online Manual may be substituted for the class, but will not count toward subsequent levels.
  
  
• LEVEL II PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATION
  Required for procurement officers that perform small and/or alternate procurements from $25,000.01 to $100,000.
  
  Recertification Requirements: 4 procurement related classes every 3 years, at least 2 of which must be OPPM procurement recertification classes. Classes provided by other organizations will count toward recertification on a 2 hour = 1 class basis.
  
  
• LEVEL III PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATION
  Required for procurement officers that perform formal and/or alternate procurements above $100,000.
  
  Recertification Requirements: 8 procurement related classes every 3 years, at least 4 of which must be OPPM procurement recertification classes. Classes provided by other organizations will count toward recertification on a 2 hour = 1 class basis.

Note about level I certifications: Anyone who earned a level I certification prior to April 2014 did not receive an expiration date for their certification. In the summer of 2014, we made a global change to all level I certifications in the AspireAlaska system to ensure that they will also expire in three years. If you received your Level I certification prior to April 2014 and require it for your position, please be advised that you will need to recertify before April 2017. (Reading the new Level I State of Alaska Procurement Online Manual and submitting the form on page 42 is all that is required to renew a level I certification.)

What if I need to be certified now?

A Provisional Certification may be granted:

For new employees who require purchasing authority and are waiting to take the next set of Procurement Academy classes.

The term of a Provisional Certification cannot exceed 3 months.

The Provisional Certificate is not for employees with Level II or III certifications that are about to expire. Employees will need to contact the Office of Procurement and Property Management at  DOA.OPPM.Training.Communications@alaska.gov or (907)500-8317 for assistance. 

Provisional Certifications and exceptions are subject to approval by the Chief Procurement Officer or his/her designee.

What are the differences between certifications and delegations?

While a procurement certification indicates that an employee has received the training necessary to perform procurement actions within their certification level, a written departmental delegation of purchasing authority is needed before that employee may conduct a procurement.

What if I won’t be performing procurements above $5,000?

Employees who only need to perform procurements under $5,000 may receive a Level I certification after reading the Level I Procurement Online Manual and submitting the completed form on page 42 to the Office of Procurement and Property Management.

Note: The Level I manual will not count toward subsequent levels of certification; i.e., those seeking level II or III certifications will also be required to attend the Level I Procurement Academy class.

Who can I talk to about enrolling in the Procurement Academy, my current certification or delegation, or anything else related to purchasing authority?

Contact the Office of Procurement and Property Management at (907) 500-8317 or email: DOA.OPPM.Training.Communications@alaska.gov.

How do I know where I am in the certification/recertification process?

You can always call the Office of Procurement and Property Management at (907) 500-8317 to seek clarification of the rules and procedures regarding Procurement Officer Certification and recertification. You can also go online to your AspireAlaska Transcript, and under your transcript if you are active in procurement recertification you should find “Procurement Academy Level X Certification” to see where you are at in the recertification process. If you have not started recertification and do not have a certificate, please contact the Office of Procurement and Property Management at (907) 500-8317 or email: DOA.OPPM.Training.Communications@alaska.gov   to help you through the process.