OAR 125-246-0400: Cooperative Procurement; Purpose, Policy, and Definitions

(1) See OAR 137-046-0400 through 137-046-0480. (2) Regardless of OAR 137-046-0400 through 137-046-0480, Authorized Agencies must comply with the following provisions: (a) Adaptation of Model Rules for Agency Use. The following words found in those Model Rules expressly adopted by the Department are replaced by the words as defined in this subsection (2)(a): (A) “Administering Contracting Agency” is replaced by “Administrator.” (B) “Purchasing Contracting Agency” is replaced by “Participant.” (b) Definitions. For the purposes of these Cooperative Procurement Rules only, the following definitions apply to Cooperative Procurement: (A) An “Administrator” means a governmental body that solicits and establishes the Original Contract for Supplies and Services or Public Improvements in a Cooperative Procurement. “Administrator” means the State Chief Procurement Officer or subject to the approval of the State Chief Procurement Officer: an Agency, another Public Body within the state of Oregon, or a governmental body outside the state of Oregon. An Administrator has the same rights and responsibilities as an Administering Contracting Agency under ORS 279A.200 through 279A.225. (B) "Contract" means a Public Contract or Price Agreement resulting from a Cooperative Procurement by an Administrator. (C) "Cooperative Procurement" means a Procurement conducted by an Administrator or on behalf of one or more Participants. Cooperative Procurement includes but is not limited to multiparty Contracts and Price Agreements. (D) "Cooperative Procurement Group" means: (i) A group of Agencies, Public Bodies within the state of Oregon or any governmental body outside the state of Oregon, separately or in any combination; (ii) Approved by the State Chief Procurement Officer; and (iii) Joined through an intergovernmental agreement for the purposes of facilitating a Cooperative Procurement. (E) "Interstate Cooperative Procurement" means a Permissive Cooperative Procurement in which the Administrator is authorized under that governmental body's laws, rules, or regulations to enter into Public Contracts and in which one or more of the Participants are located outside the State of Oregon. (F) "Joint Cooperative Procurement" means a Cooperative Procurement that identifies: (i) The Participants or the Cooperative Procurement Group; and (ii) The contract requirements or estimated contract requirements for the Original Contract. (G) "Original Contract" means the initial Contract or Price Agreement awarded under a Cooperative Procurement by an Administrator. (H) A “Participant” means a governmental body that procures Goods, Services, or Public Improvements from a Provider based on the Original Contract established by an Administrator in a Cooperative Procurement. For the purpose of the Cooperative Procurement Rules, the procured Services include Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Services, and Related Services. A Participant may be the State Chief Procurement Officer or, subject to the approval of the State Chief Procurement Officer: an Authorized Agency, a local Public Body, a state agency with independence under ORS 279A.050, or a governmental body located outside the State of Oregon. A Participant has the same rights and responsibilities as a Participating or Purchasing Contracting Agency under ORS 279A.200 through 279A.225. (I) "Permissive Cooperative Procurement" means a Cooperative Procurement in which the Participants are not identified. (c) Authority for Cooperative Procurements. (A) The State Chief Procurement Officer will enter into Cooperative Procurements on behalf of Agencies, unless an Authorized Agency receives a delegation of Authority according to OAR 125-246-0170 to act as an Administrator or Participant. (B) Subject to a delegation of Authority described in subsection (2)(c)(A) of this Rule, an Administrator or Participant may participate in, sponsor, conduct or administer Joint Cooperative Procurements, Permissive Cooperative Procurements and Interstate Cooperative Procurements in accordance with ORS 279A.200 through 279A.225 and these Rules. (C) For Permissive Cooperative Procurements, each Participant that participates after the Award of the Original Contract must determine, in Writing, whether the Solicitation and award process for the Original Contract arising out of a Cooperative Procurement is substantially equivalent to those identified in ORS 279B.055, 279B.060 or 279B.085, consistent with 279A.200(2). The Participant must maintain this Written determination in the Participant’s Procurement File. (d) Responsibilities. (A) The Administrator of a Cooperative Procurement may establish any terms and conditions necessary to allow other Participating Authorized Agencies or Cooperative Procurement Groups of which the Participant is a member (collectively, "Participant”) to participate in a Cooperative Procurement. The Administrator may require Participants to enter into a Written agreement that establishes the terms and conditions for participation in a Cooperative Procurement. These terms and conditions may include, but are not limited to: the establishment of any administrative fees for the Administrator, whether each Person must enter into a Written agreement with the Administrator, and any other matters related to the administration of the Cooperative Procurement source selection and the resulting Original Contract. The Administrator may include provisions in the Solicitation Document for a Cooperative Procurement and advertise the Solicitation Document in a manner to assist Participants’ compliance with the Code and these Rules. (B) In administering or applying these Rules, the Administrator must collaboratively review and compare the procurement needs and requirements of both the Administrator and the respective Participant(s) for the purpose of using a Cooperative Procurement to achieve cost savings (for examples: lowest total cost of acquisition, least time to procure, process streamlining, Return on Investment calculation based on a comparison of the total costs of individual Authorized Agency Procurements versus a Cooperative Procurement). (C) If a Participant enters into a Contract based on a Cooperative Procurement, the Participant must comply with the Code, these Rules, and any terms and conditions set out by the Administrator, including: (i) The extent to which the Participant may participate in the Cooperative Procurement; (ii) The advertisement of the Solicitation Document for the Cooperative Procurement; and (iii) Public notice of the Participant’s intent to establish Contracts based on a Cooperative Procurement. (D) Joint, Permissive, and Interstate Cooperative Procurement Solicitations must comply with OAR 125-247-0305. (e) Amendments of Cooperative Procurements must comply with OAR 125-247-0805.