Procedures for the Acquisition of Information Technology Equipment, Software, and Services by Procurement Type and Total Lifecycle Cost for
Institutions of Higher Learning

By law, all acquisitions of information technology products or services by IHLs must be approved by ITS. ITS has delegated this responsibility to the Chief Information Officers (CIOs) of the State's Institutions of Higher Learning for certain types of purchases and lifecycle cost limits. Please note that these thresholds are based upon total lifecycle costs and that there are situations in which actual monies paid is not the sole determinant of the requirement for a competitive procurement process. For purchases in which (1) the value of the goods and services exceeds bid limit, (2) there is a competitive market, and (3) there is potential for vendor profit from the project, contracts must be awarded based on an open and competitive process that allows the state to compare offerings to obtain the best product, service, and value, regardless of monies paid directly to the vendor by the state entity. The competitive process ensures the state’s requirements are well-defined, project contracts are negotiated to protect the state’s interest, and the vendor selected is the one with the most advantageous combination of cost and services.

The only statutory exception to the requirement for ITS approval is for acquisitions of computer equipment and services made by IHLs wholly with federal funds. These acquisitions do NOT fall within ITS' purview. In addition, Mississippi Code Section 25-53-5 (b) directs ITS, in establishing procedures and carrying out its statutory charges in relation to IHLs, to take into consideration the special needs of these institutions in relation to the fields of teaching and scientific research. In accordance with this directive, ITS has delegated procurement oversight for IT purchases to IHLs at 5 times the level of delegation for state agencies. These delegation thresholds and associated oversight requirements are outlined in the table that follows.

The table below defines the procedures and the required approvals for each category and project lifecycle cost range. For current Director Approval thresholds, see Section 018-030. Please note that all Procurement Requests submitted to ITS must be signed by the Institution's CIO or that person's designee.

Procurement Type/Lifecycle Cost	$.01 - $5,000.00	$5,000.01 - $50,000.00	$50,000.01 - $250,000.00	> $250,000 but below Director Approval Threshold	Above Director Approval Threshold
Regular Competitive Procurement	Delegated to Institution's CIO May purchase without advertising or otherwise requesting competitive bids	Delegated to Institution's CIO May purchase without advertisement for bids, provided at least two competitive written bids have been obtained EXCEPTION: By State statute, all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects in excess of $25,000.00 must be bid.	Delegated to Institution's CIO Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required by law EXCEPTION: By State statute, all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects in excess of $25,000.00 must be bid.	Requires ITS approval: CP-1 Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required by law Submit Procurement Request to ITS 2 - 5 months before purchase	Requires ITS Board approval and CP-1 Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required by law Submit Procurement Request to ITS 3 - 8 months before purchase
Telecommunications Systems and Services (See Acquisition of Telecommunications Services by IHLs for more information)	No delegation. ITS has conducted these procurements on behalf of the state and has contracts in place that can be used by IHLs for telecommunications systems and services (voice and data). See ITS Telecommunications Contracts for IHLs for details. To acquire these services other than via an ITS contract, submit an exemption request to ITS prior to acquiring the service.	No delegation. ITS has conducted these procurements on behalf of the state and has contracts in place that can be used by IHLs for telecommunications systems and services (voice and data). See ITS Telecommunications Contracts for IHLs for details. To acquire these services other than via an ITS contract, submit an exemption request to ITS prior to acquiring the service.	No delegation. ITS has conducted these procurements on behalf of the state and has contracts in place that can be used by IHLs for telecommunications systems and services (voice and data). See ITS Telecommunications Contracts for IHLs for details. To acquire these services other than via an ITS contract, submit an exemption request to ITS prior to advertising for the service.	No delegation. ITS has conducted these procurements on behalf of the state and has contracts in place that can be used by IHLs for telecommunications systems and services (voice and data). See ITS Telecommunications Contracts for IHLs for details. To acquire these services other than via an ITS contract, submit an exemption request to ITS prior to advertising for the service.	No delegation. ITS has conducted these procurements on behalf of the state and has contracts in place that can be used by IHLs for telecommunications systems and services (voice and data). See ITS Telecommunications Contracts for IHLs for details. Note: ITS contracts have already received Board approval. IHL acquisitions of services from these contracts do not require additional Board action. Exemptions to acquire these services other than via ITS contracts require Board approval. Submit an exemption request to ITS 6 - 8 weeks prior to advertising for the service.
Sole Source Procurement	Delegated to Institution's CIO May purchase without advertising or otherwise requesting competitive bids	Sole Source Certification Delegated to Institution's CIO	Sole Source Certification Delegated to Institution's CIO	Requires ITS approval: CP-1 Submit Sole Source Request with vendor and institution documentation to ITS 3 - 5 weeks before purchase	Requires ITS Board approval and CP-1 Submit Sole Source Request with vendor and institution documentation to ITS 2-4 months before purchase
Exemption from ITS	Not applicable: Already Delegated to Institution's CIO	Not applicable: Already Delegated to Institution's CIO	Not applicable: Already Delegated to Institution's CIO	Requires ITS approval: CP-1 Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required by law (conducted by the Institution after the exemption is approved) Submit Exemption Request to ITS 2-4 weeks prior to advertising the procurement (Note: ITS cannot exempt a sole source procurement > $250,000)	Requires ITS Board approval and CP-1 Requires ITS approval Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required by law (conducted by the Institution after the exemption is approved) Submit Exemption Request to ITS 4 - 6 weeks prior to advertising the procurement
Express Products Lists (EPLs)	Delegated to Institution's CIO Access EPL on ITS web site Follow instructions on specific EPL	Delegated to Institution's CIO Access EPL on ITS web site Follow instructions on specific EPL	Delegated to Institution's CIO up to EPL limit Access EPL on ITS web site Follow instructions on specific EPL	Delegated to Institution's CIO up to EPL limit Access EPL on ITS web site Follow instructions on specific EPL	Requires ITS Board approval and CP-1 Submit Procurement Request to ITS 2-4 months before purchase
Planned Purchases	Not applicable	Not applicable	Purchase above EPL limit: Requires ITS approval: Letter from ITS Executive Director Requires submitting IT Plan to ITS for review; equipment /software needed must appear on a current EPL I ITS planners and procurement analysts assess the plan and the procurement request See EPL Planned Purchase for further details.	Requires ITS approval: Letter from ITS Executive Director Requires submitting IT Plan to ITS for review; equipment /software needed must appear on a current EPL I ITS planners and procurement analysts assess the plan and the procurement request See EPL Planned Purchase for further details.	Requires ITS Board approval Requires approval letter from ITS Executive Director Requires submitting IT Plan to ITS for review; equipment /software needed must appear on a current EPL I ITS planners and procurement analysts assess the plan and the procurement request See EPL Planned Purchase for further details.
Emergency Procurement	Not applicable	Inform ITS in writing, using ITS' Emergency Purchase Form signed by the Institution's president or designee, and by Institution's CIO, as soon as possible after the emergency procurement	Inform ITS in writing, using ITS' Emergency Purchase Form signed by the Institution's president or designee, and by Institution's CIO, as soon as possible after the emergency procurement	Inform ITS in writing, using ITS' Emergency Purchase Form signed by the Institution's president or designee, and by Institution's CIO, as soon as possible after the emergency procurement	Inform ITS in writing, using ITS' Emergency Purchase Form signed by the Institution's president or designee, and by Institution's CIO, as soon as possible after the emergency procurement ITS Board informed of emergency procurement and surrounding circumstances
E-Government Procurement NOTE: Due to the different vendor business models for E-Government services and products, the procurement approach is not governed by the total expenditure but by the true market value, as determined by the complexity and size of the project. See Section 001-020 of this handbook for additional information on Electronic Government procurements.	Delegated to Institution's CIO Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required if true market value of services exceeds $50,000 (25,000 for ARRA projects), regardless of funds expended	Delegated to Institution's CIO Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required if true market value of services exceeds $50,000 ($25,000 for ARRA projects), regardless of funds expended	Delegated to Institution's CIO Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required	Requires ITS approval: CP-1 Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required by law Submit Procurement Request to ITS 2 - 5 months before purchase	Requires ITS Board approval and CP-1 Advertisement & receipt of competitive bids required by law Submit Procurement Request to ITS 3 - 8 months before purchase