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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Procurement U?

NASPO’s Procurement U is a multi-faceted education platform provided to members of the National Association of State Procurement Officials and other state government procurement professionals.

Procurement U provides professional development opportunities, training, resources, publications and more that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of state procurement officials and staff.

What kind of learning opportunities does Procurement U offer?

  • Instructor-led Training (ILT) – An instructor facilitates the class in a set time frame. ILT classes can be offered:
    • online (recorded/video sessions and live feed/virtual training offered)
    • in-person
  • Web-based Training (WBT) – Classes are self-paced and are not facilitated by an instructor. Participants determine when, where and at what speed they complete the training. Classes may have structured time limits or may remain open without a set time frame.
  • Hybrid / Blended – This option is a combination of the Web-Based Training and Instructor-Led Training delivery methods. For example, an instructor may ask participants to complete a Web-Based Training a week prior to an in-person, instructor-led session at a conference.For the most up-to-date listing, please log on to Procurement U LMS and browse the course catalog.  If you are interested in learning more about opportunities to teach an online course in the future please contact [email protected].

How can I sign up for upcoming Procurement U classes or sessions?

The Procurement U Learning Management System (LMS) is your gateway to registration, access to Procurement U resources and study groups.

You will be prompted to change your password as soon as you log in.  If you are not a NASPO member and would like access, or if you have any difficulties with log in, please contact [email protected].

Who can participate in Procurement U?

NASPO’s Procurement U courses are designed to provide instruction to learners at all levels of state government procurement, although other public procurement professionals (including federal, city and county government employees) may also benefit from courses. Procurement U courses are not intended for those employed in the private sector.

NASPO has established Procurement U course fees at an affordable level to benefit the widest circle of potential learners. Fees will be evaluated on a regular basis and are subject to change. Discounted rates are available to NASPO members (state, associate, life and honorary) and all other state government employees, including employees of public, nonprofit universities. All other learners (including federal, county, and city government employees) will pay the standard course rate.  Please note, Procurement U currently does not offer group rates.

Can Procurement U help me prepare to earn my CPPO or CPPB certification though UPPCC?

NASPO is dedicated to providing resources for members interested in becoming UPPCC certified, and Procurement U is a source for certification preparation needs.  Our courses and materials are carefully aligned with the UPPC Body of Knowledge. Procurement U certification resources include exam preparation documents, information on the process, a list of academic universities that provide procurement courses and an alignment of the UPPCC Body of Knowledge to the NASPO State and Local Government Practical Guide. Please go here to learn more.

Some materials you may find most helpful include:

How will Procurement U help me?

Procurement U has offerings and resources to meet the different needs of various procurement officials:

  • Chief Procurement Officials will benefit from executive-level training opportunities, including leadership sessions, state-by-state trend discussion and legislative tracking. In addition, procurement leaders can help design training plans for staff members.
  • Central procurement staff members who serve as the designated state training coordinator can use Procurement U to supplement the educational offerings in their state with Procurement U professional development, which is designed especially for state procurement officials. Procurement U also provides a unique opportunity to network, share curriculum and materials, and discuss training ideas with training coordinators in other states.
  • Professional procurement staff, such as managers, buyers, contract managers and analysts can benefit from hands-on, tactical procurement courses that will offer state-focused curriculum that will help you improve efficiency, avoid time-consuming mistakes and grow your procurement knowledge to better meet the demands of your job.

How much does it cost? Can I use professional development funds for classes?

Price of courses and publications will vary by offering and will be listed in the enrollment section of the course catalog.  States may use their NASPO professional development funds to cover the cost of participation.  The use of Professional Development Funds are at the discretion of the NASPO Primary member (state chief procurement officer or his/her designee), in accordance with the guidelines.  To access Professional Development Funds for Procurement U offerings, your state has a unique code that can be entered during registration to directly pay from the state’s professional development fund account.  This state specific code was emailed to your CPO and it is at his/her discretion to distribute to individuals with approval to use Professional Development Funds for Procurement U offerings.

What makes Procurement U offerings different than other procurement training opportunities?

Procurement U is the only procurement educational platform designed specifically to address the unique professional development needs of STATE procurement officials.  Because of this focus, the value of education provided by Procurement U to NASPO members is unparalleled.

What is the current course schedule? Click here to see a list of Procurement U current course offerings.

What do the levels mean?

100: Introductory
Introductory courses cover fundamental building blocks of a particular subject related to procurement. Course content difficulty level is basic to intermediate for participants at the beginning stages of their careers in state procurement. Suggested audience: Procurement Assistants (administrative support, warehouse inventory manager, warehouse inventory support staff) and buyers (entry-level buyers, intermediate buyers).

200: Intermediate
Intermediate courses are intended to enhance knowledge and skills in a particular subject to provide a strong and extensive foundation in public procurement. Course content difficulty level is intermediate to advanced, for participants with a sound knowledge base and a few years of procurement experience. Suggested audience: Buyers (intermediate buyers, entry-level buyers) and Procurement Analyst (contract administrators, finance/accounting managers, risk management supervisors, compliance officers, consultants, legal/admin counsels).

300: Advanced
Advanced courses are intended to sharpen skill sets and enhance the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Course content difficulty level is advanced and is designed for professionals, instructors, specialists and/or leaders and managers with many years of experience. Suggested audience: Procurement Analysts (contract administrators, finance/accounting managers, risk management supervisors, compliance officers, consultants, legal/admin counsels) and Contract Officer/Senior Buyers.

400: Expert
These courses generally focus on the development of new and creative approaches that extend or redefine existing knowledge or professional practice. Suggested audience: Contract Officers/Senior Buyers, Procurement Managers (assistant directors, program managers, program supervisors), Chief Procurement Officer (director-level executive managers of procurement).

Who do I contact with Procurement U questions or feedback?

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

Online Classes

The Procurement U Learning Management System (LMS) is your gateway to the best in public procurement education. New to Procurement U? Sign up for free today!

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