Cooperative Educational Services (CES) is an educational service agency formed in 1979. CES is enabled by the Amended and Reformed Joint Powers Agreement to Establish an Educational Cooperative, which is approved by the Department of Finance and Administration of the State of New Mexico. Membership has grown from five founding public school districts to more than 150 public educational institutions throughout the state. These member organizations include all 89 public school districts, all of New Mexico's universities, many community colleges, and some state schools, Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, and charter schools. Any public educational institution in New Mexico is eligible to apply for membership to CES.

One of the primary benefits to becoming a member of CES is being able to take advantage of our cooperative purchasing opportunities. As will be outlined in this handbook in more explicit detail, CES makes purchasing simple for our member institutions. We save our members significant amounts of time and money by soliciting bids and awarding contracts on their behalf. CES members also have the guarantee that the prices they will receive from our authorized vendors are the lowest available from these vendors because these prices are not offered to individual buyers or private agencies.

So congratulations on your contract award, and welcome as a CES partner! As a CES vendor, you now have special access to the New Mexico public educational market. Remember, you are responsible for selling your own product; CES is merely a conduit. Your contract has the potential to be a great sales tool, but CES does not actively market selected vendors. With this important bit of information in mind, we look forward to a mutually beneficial working relationship and wish you the utmost success.

CES Contacts

Office Manager

Margie Perry is the person you usually meet first when you come to CES. She can help you find other staff that can help you with your CES contract. When you phone CES, Margie is the person who usually answers and directs your call.

Member Service Representatives

Member Service Representatives (MSRs) are responsible for their assigned members’ transactions from the time a purchase order comes in until a vendor is paid. The MSRs are responsible for verifying prices on a member’s purchase order against the vendor’s contract pricing, issuing purchase orders to vendors, entering vendor invoices into accounts payable, creating payment vouchers, invoicing the schools, and preparing member payment information for posting to the member’s account. MSRs are involved in the solicitation evaluation process as well as vendor conferences for contract awards. Each MSR is also a valuable resource for members to turn to with their purchasing questions.

Valerie Lovato is responsible for member institutions whose names begin with A-F (ex: Alamogordo-Fort Sumner) as well as the charter schools affiliated with those districts. Valerie is also responsible for all food transactions.

Shannon Vescovo is responsible for members G-P (ex: Gallup-Portales), the charter schools affiliated with those districts, and all Chancery transactions.

Melanie Rodriguez is responsible for members Q-Z, (ex: Questa-Zuni), the charter schools affiliated with those districts, Regional Center Cooperatives (RCCs), and all Medicaid transactions.

Internal Auditor

When a member places an order, all the paperwork associated with the transaction forms a packet of information. Sandy Dewbre audits all packets to see that required paperwork is completed and correct, and that the amount being paid is correct. On construction packets over $20,000, she checks for Notification of Awards, wage decisions, payroll information (Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages and Affidavit of Wages Paid), and Agreement Between Owner, Buyer, and Contractor. For construction projects over $25,000, Sandy also looks for a Payment and Performance Bond. She also sends out Release and Waiver of Liens on construction packets, and prepares and processes the payables weekly. If you have any questions regarding your checks, Sandy will be able to help you.

Director of Ancillary Services

Jean Luft is responsible for the operation of Ancillary Services. She monitors the day-to-day operations including file maintenance, preparation of reports, invoices, management of testing materials, and dissemination of information.

Director of Food Service/Student Nutrition Specialist

Beth Miller joined the staff of CES on January 4^th 2005. She has over 30 years nutrition/food service experience; 25 of those years having worked with student nutrition programs. She worked closely with the NM School Food Service Association for a number of years, serving as the secretary as well as the NM Commodity Distribution Advisory Council. Beth will work to develop and enhance the over all CES Food Procurement Program so that it may better serve the needs of the district and charter school food service departments. She is available to assist you with issues related to quality service for your students, staff and visitors.

Director of Finance

Robin Strauser is responsible for the operation of the Business Office, which is comprised of the three MSRs and the Internal Auditor. He interfaces with vendors, members, state agencies, and staff to ensure transactions are in compliance with state statutes and vendor contracts. He reviews construction purchase orders, wage decision requests, and reviews and signs invoices to members. He also approves payments to be made on the weekly payables run. If you have any questions or concerns with the processing of your transactions, whether it’s the purchase order, invoicing, payments, or general business questions, you may call Robin.

Director of Procurement

Llew Perry is responsible for overseeing and administering the procurement activities of CES, which include developing and awarding contracts for supplies, materials, construction, and services requested by its members; coordinating and managing vendor contracts and vendor relations; resolving procurement problems between members and vendors, and generally formulating procurement contracts for quality goods and services at cost-effective prices. Llew is also the Assistant Executive Director.

Director of REAP

Ruben Mirabal is leading the way to get all of New Mexico using the New Mexico Regional Educational Applicant Program (NMREAP) to streamline their recruiting and hiring practices. Ruben has been with CES as the Director of REAP, since 2002, shortly after the REAP program was first introduced to New Mexico.

Executive Director

Max Luft has general oversight responsibilities for CES but is not usually involved in the day-to-day procurement process. If you have a problem with a CES member institution or your relationship with CES that is not resolved elsewhere, see Max.

The Solicitation Process

The information found within this section covers the procedures, guidelines, practices, and requirements of the Procurement Code (NMSA) established and adopted by the State of New Mexico, the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) by way of their rules and regulations, and Cooperative Educational Services (CES) by way of its governing board’s policies and procurement procedures.

The solicitation process includes:

Ø Identifying construction, products, and services to be procured

Ø Developing and creating the request for bid (RFB) or request for proposal (RFP) document

Ø Notifying potential respondents and issuing the RFB/RFP solicitation

Ø Receiving and evaluating RFB/RFP responses from offerors

Ø Negotiating RFPs and awarding contracts

Ø Reviewing, renewing, updating, and terminating contracts

Ø Other methods for procuring construction, goods, and services

Ø Notification to members

Identifying construction, products, and services to be procured

CES has three ways through which it establishes the items to be procured for its members. The first is through its own efforts to survey and keep abreast of the needs of its members. This aim is accomplished in large part by attending national, state, and local conferences put on by PED, the International and New Mexico Association of School Business Officials (ASBOI and NMASBO), National and New Mexico School Boards Association (NSBA and NMSBA), the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA), the New Mexico Coalition of School Administrators (NMCSA), and other such organizations.

While the above-described method is extremely effective, CES members and vendors have an equally instrumental role in the process. CES finds it both valuable and necessary to visit, receive requests from, and collaborate with its members in their endeavor to provide the best possible educational environment for their students. CES also welcomes input from vendors who have identified a need on the part of our members for their construction, goods, and services. Vendors communicate this need to CES by requesting that CES consider issuing a solicitation to procure construction, goods, and/or services for CES members.

Developing and creating the RFB/RFP document

Once it has been determined that CES needs to procure construction, a particular product, and/or service to meet the needs of its members, CES staff does research by contacting various members to determine what they see as the basic product and what performance specifications are needed in a product and/or service. They also contact potential vendors to acquire background information, including knowledge and general specifications of the product and/or services being requested.

Vendors also provide an important insight into the various types of solutions and products available that will best meet CES’ members’ needs. CES has a standard boilerplate used for RFBs/RFPs that contains the Invitation to Bid, Instructions to Bidders, General Terms and Conditions, and Bid Submittal Forms. The Categorical Scope of Work, Terms, Conditions and Specifications, Required Responses, and Cost Consideration are developed and inserted into the boilerplate document. All CES RFBs/RFPs are similar in format and layout and comply with the requirements of the state procurement code. (13-1-102, 103, 111, 112 NMSA)

Notifying potential respondents and issuing the RFB/RFP solicitation

For the notification and issuance of solicitations, CES adheres to the State Procurement Code and CES policies and procedures governing procurement.

Bidders’ list and potential bidders

CES utilizes three methods to establish and maintain its procurement bidders’ list. The first means is to receive a request in writing from a vendor wishing to be on the bidders’ list. The second is to discover a potential bidder by way of a reference from a CES member. Third, CES attends conferences, visits members who are currently working with non-CES vendors, and searches the Internet yellow pages. (13-1-134 NMSA)

Bidders’ selection of products and services for notice of solicitations

CES has established a procedure for potential bidders to indicate the areas for which they wish to receive notice of solicitations. CES utilizes the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) Codes to identify the various products and services for which it is issuing a solicitation. Once a vendor has requested in writing to be put on the bidders’ list, CES issues an NIGP letter to the individual or company who made the request. The letter notifies the potential bidder that CES has received their request to be placed on the bidders’ list, and asks them to indicate the areas of products and services for which they wish to receive notification. The potential bidder completes the information requested in the NIGP letter and returns it to CES. Upon receipt of the letter, CES will enter the information into its database, and whenever a solicitation is issued in at least one of the NIGP areas that the vendor has indicated an interest, the potential bidder will be notified.

Notification of RFBs/RFPs

CES advertises all of its RFBs/RFPs for two consecutive weeks in the Sunday editions of the Albuquerque Journal, El Paso Times, Farmington Daily Times, Las Cruces Sun-News, Roswell Daily Record, and Santa Fe New Mexican. CES also places its solicitations online at www.nmedu.org/ces. These items are done to comply with state statutes. (13-1-104, 113 NMSA)

Providing the bid document

Any potential bidder can obtain the RFB/RFP document at the CES offices at 4216 Balloon Park Road NE, Albuquerque, NM. They can also return the CES Letter of Interest, submit a written request (via e-mail, fax, or letter), or download the document from the CES Web site (www.nmedu.org/ces).

Receiving and evaluating RFB/RFP responses from offerors

CES receives all responses to RFBs/RFPs in accordance with the procurement code. The date and time that responses to solicitations are due are specified in the advertisement of the solicitation, the RFB/RFP document itself, and on the CES Web site. The location where responses are to be received is also specified in these places.

When a RFB/RFP response is received by CES, it is date- and time-stamped to indicate exactly when it was received. It should be noted that any submitted response that is not properly labeled or not received by the due date and time will be considered non-responsive, and subsequently will be rejected and returned unopened to the bidder. CES maintains a receipt log of all solicitation responses.

On the date, time, and place that RFBs/RFPs are due, CES, depending on the type of solicitation (RFB or RFP) being received, will follow the procedure as follows:

RFP response

CES staff will publicly announce and record the name(s) of the potential vendor(s) who submitted responses. CES will not disclose any further information or allow public review of the responses at this time. (13-1-116 NMSA) However, once an award is made, the proposal documents become public information and are open for inspection and review.

RFB response

CES staff will publicly announce and record the names and bid information for each of the bid responses submitted. The responses will immediately be made available for public inspection and review. (13-1-107 NMSA) Due to the nature of the bid requirements and evaluation criteria of CES-issued RFBs, CES reserves the right to complete an in-depth inspection, review, and verification of the information and prices submitted within the responses to determine whether the bid submission is responsive or non-responsive, and whether the prices submitted are most advantageous to CES and its members. (13-1-105 NMSA)

Evaluating an RFB response

CES will first determine, with a YES or NO, if the bid submission is responsive or non-responsive. A minimum of two CES staff and/or volunteer member representatives will make this determination upon reviewing the response. If the submission is found to be responsive, it will move to the next step in the process. If the submission is found to be non-responsive, it will be rejected and will not be considered for award.

Based on the cost, CES will determine the response most advantageous for its members. The specific evaluation criteria vary from bid to bid.

The final step in the RFB evaluation process is the recommendation for award. (13-1-105 NMSA)

Evaluating an RFP response

CES will first determine, with a YES or NO, if the bid submission is responsive or non-responsive. An evaluation committee of two or more CES staff members and/or volunteer members will makes this determination. If the submission is found to be responsive, it moves to the next step in the process. If the submission is found to be non-responsive, it is rejected and not considered for award.

The second step is for the evaluation committee to evaluate and rate each response based on the RFP’s evaluation factors. During this process, concerns will be raised that may or may not need to be discussed or negotiated before a recommendation or award can be made.

The third step in the evaluation process is the discussion and/or negotiation with respondents and the submission of a best and final offer (if required) by the respondent.

The fourth step is making a recommendation for an award. (13-1-114, 115 NMSA)

Negotiating RFPs and awarding contracts

When a determination has been made to reject or award a solicitation based on the solicitation’s terms and conditions, the CES Executive Director and/or his designee may either complete contract negotiations resulting in an award or just issue an award. Once an award has been made, all respondents are notified in writing (with either a rejection letter or an award letter) of the status of their response after the evaluation process. The CES Board policy allows the CES Executive Director to accept or reject the committee’s recommendation and to issue the notifications. At the next scheduled CES Executive Committee meeting, the Board takes formal action on accepting or rejecting the Executive Director’s actions. (13-1-108, 117, 131 NMSA)

Multi-term contracts

CES and its members have determined that it is often in their best interest to procure goods and services under multi-term contracts. Contained within each RFB/RFP issued by CES are the timelines and terms and conditions for the initial term of the contract, the renewal/extension options, and the termination and/or cancellation options.

It is customary for CES-issued RFPs to have an initial term of two years with two possible one-year extensions. CES RFBs normally have a two-year initial term with two possible one-year extensions. Renewals or extensions only occur if all parties are in mutual agreement. (13-1-150, 151 NMSA)

Multi-awarded contracts

CES and its members have determined that under certain circumstances it is in their best interest to make multiple awards for various goods and services requested by its members. Multiple award decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and depend on the requirements of CES members, the type of products and services being procured, and the various vendors’ ability to provide, support, and deliver the products and services as required and requested. (13-1-153, 154 NMSA)

Reviewing, renewing, updating and terminating of contracts

Within each of CES’ solicitations, the terms, conditions, and procedures are clearly identified for public review of responses to CES solicitations, the process for vendor protest of an award, and the renewing, updating, and canceling of contracts after the award has been made.

Public review of CES’ RFBs/RFPs issued and/or awarded

Once an RFB/RFP has become public information (in accordance with 13-1-107, 113 NMSA), any individual or company may request in writing under the New Mexico Public Information Act to obtain and review copies of CES’ solicitations and related documents, as long they are not considered by law to be confidential in nature. The written request must clearly identify the documents being requested. If CES considers the request to be unclear or too broad in scope, CES will request clarification. CES will compile the documents requested and establish an agreeable time for the requestor to come to the CES offices to review copies of the documents. It should be noted that in accordance with the Public Information Act, CES has established a fee schedule for the labor required to pull, copy, and compile the documents requested.

Vendor Protest Resolution

The procedures used by CES to obtain information and issue a determination for a protest filed regarding one of its RFBs/RFPs is stated within each of its solicitation documents. The CES Board has adopted a procedure to resolve such protests. Interested parties may obtain copies of these policies by making a request in writing. (13-1-172 through 176, 13-1-181, 183 NMSA)

Renewing, updating, and terminating contracts

The majority of CES’ vendor contracts are multi-term. Within each of the solicitation documents, the specific terms, conditions, and stipulations for the above items are clearly identified and stated.

Other methods for procuring construction, goods, and services

CES uses two additional sources to establish contracts for various vendors that were not mentioned in the previous section. These are using contracts from procurement agencies outside of New Mexico: Mohave Educational Service Cooperative (MESC) contracts (Arizona), The Cooperative Purchasing Network (TCPN) contracts (Texas), and contracts obtained through a joint venture with a multi-state cooperative procurement group called the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA).

Procurement Agencies Outside of New Mexico

Cooperative Procurement provides lower prices because of increased volume. Realizing that even greater volume would further reduce vendor prices, CES has entered into Cooperative Procurement Agreements with selected educational service agencies (ESAs) from adjacent states. Under these Agreements, CES can purchase construction, products, and services using contracts that have been bid by these cooperating ESAs. Currently, two ESAs have Cooperative Purchase Agreements.

Mohave Educational Service Cooperative (MESC)

MESC is part of the Mohave County government in Arizona and provides procurement options similar to CES to counties, cities, and educational institutions throughout the state of Arizona. CES and MESC cooperate in accordance with the External Procurement Agreement, entered into by CES and MESC and approved by the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration. This agreement allows CES to utilize any solicitation issued by MESC, provided that a vendor is willing, able, and agrees to offer the same contract to CES and its members.

Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA)

AEPA is a group that was formed by CES and other similar agencies located throughout 21 states, representing more than twenty million students in the United States. AEPA’s main focus is providing educational institutions with construction, goods and services at a volume discount from national and international manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors. These vendors must be willing and able to supply all 21 states and have an established delivery/dealer network to service each individual state. Solicitations for AEPA are advertised and published simultaneously in each state.

Notification to members

Once a vendor has received an award, CES notifies the members of the construction, products, and/or services that are available. There are four primary methods through which members receive this information:

Blue Book

CES publishes a Procurement Summary and Contract Index (Blue Book) twice a year. The Blue Book contains contact information and brief descriptions of CES vendors currently under contract, as well as a complete index of vendors by NIGP codes. It is a valuable resource to our members.

Web site

CES provides a search engine of its procurement database on the Web. From the New Mexico Educators home page, www.nmedu.org, click on the CES icon in the bottom-left corner. Click on Procurement (sidebar index), and search by vendor name, vendor city, or award type.

Member Service Representatives

The CES MSRs frequently receive calls from member organizations often requesting information about products, construction, or services provided through CES contracts.

The CES newsletter is published electronically, usually every other month. It is one of the best tools we have to communicate with all of our members and vendors about new vendors and the construction, products, and services they provide.

The Ordering Process

Issue a quote

Upon member request or at the discretion of the vendor, the vendor prepares a written quote detailing the materials and/or services to be provided. The vendor’s quote must be in accordance with the pricing structure and terms and conditions of the contract. The vendor should forward a copy of the quote to the appropriate CES MSR.

Member Sends Purchase Order to CES and CES Sends Purchase Order to Vendor

After the member has received a quote from a vendor and decides to make a purchase, they will send a purchase order to CES, which is then directed to that member’s MSR. The MSR will verify pricing with the vendor’s contract, and then issue a purchase order to the vendor. If there is any problem that would delay the generation of the purchase order from CES to the vendor, a Delay Notice is sent to the member and the vendor. Continual updates are then provided until the CES purchase order is generated, and then normal communication resumes.

Delivery

After the items have been delivered, the vendor bills CES. Be sure to include CES’ purchase order number on your invoice. CES then invoices the member for the items. After the educational institution issues payment to CES, the packet is given to CES’ internal auditor for review. If all is in order, CES issues a check to the vendor. Most of our members wait until the entire order has been received before they will pay for the items. If a vendor requires partial or progress payments (usually for very large contracts), arrangements must be made when the purchase orders are initially issued. If a member wishes to make a return, they call either the vendor or their MSR, who relays the information to the vendor.

Construction items

For a construction purchase greater than $60,000, the MSR will request a wage decision from the state before processing the purchase order. Once the wage decision has been received, the MSR will verify pricing with the vendor’s contract and continue the process as indicated above. The Internal Auditor will ensure the forms included in the wage decision have been completed before issuing payment to the vendor.

Contract Maintenance

Marketing

Get out there and start selling! We cannot stress enough the importance of your marketing and sales efforts, as CES does not actively promote its individual vendors. We will publish information about your award on our Web site, and usually provide an announcement of award in our electronic newsletter. Additionally, a summary of the award will be published in our Blue Book, a hard copy summary of all our awards.

An excellent source of the most current listing of members, as well as member contract information, may be found on our Web site. To access this list, go to www.nmedu.org/ces and click on the Members link on the side bar. Members may be listed alphabetically, by date of membership, or by type of educational organization. Display is also by short or long form.

Updating Your Contract

Most contracts are renewed annually after the term of your initial contract. In order to be extended, the vendor must meet minimal criteria. If those criteria are met, the vendor receives an extension letter from CES and has the option to continue their contract for another year or to terminate the contract. At this time, the vendor can alert CES to product additions and deletions made in accordance with the solicitation, as well as provide CES with a current price list.

Contact Information

We will make sure that our members have access to your company name and the contact information you provide to us, but it is your responsibility to make sure they associate your company with the products and services you offer. For this reason, it is vital you keep us up-to-date on your sales representatives, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. It is very important that we have the most up-to-date contact information for your company. PLEASE NOTE: ALL CHANGES MUST BE PROVIDED TO US IN WRITING in order to become effective.

Hints and Reminders

Web site

CES hosts a Web site to coordinate all education in New Mexico at www.nmedu.org. From this location, a link to the CES homepage can be activated by double-clicking on the CES icon near the bottom. Our Web site is a valuable tool for our vendors. We maintain a complete detailed listing of all our member organizations, as well as a detailed list of all of our vendors. We encourage you to periodically review information to ensure your information is correct.

Stay in Contact

Visit with CES to be sure we have your latest price lists and contact information, and to be sure everything is flowing smoothly between your company and our members. We’re here to help you. Let us resolve issues before they become problems. If you would like to take advantage of short, periodic meetings with CES staff, contact Max, Llew, or Robin.

DOs and DON’Ts

DO market your product. You may want to consider co-marketing with other CES vendors.

DO keep your contract books, prices, and product line up-to-date.

DO advise CES of any changes in contact person, business address, phone number, fax number, email address, prices, or product line IN WRITING.

DO have your customers send their order to CES, not directly to your business.

DO invoice CES for construction, products sold, or services performed.

DO keep in touch with CES. Let us help you resolve an issue before it becomes a problem.

DON’T contact the member regarding matters of payment, unless your assistance is requested by CES.

DON’T process or order anything for your customer until you have a purchase order in hand from CES.

DON’T invoice the member. Normally CES invoices the member. Make sure your invoice is prepared, issued to CES, and references CES’ purchase order number.

Bidders’ list and potential bidders

RFB response

Evaluating an RFB response

Multi-term contracts

It is customary for CES-issued RFPs to have an initial term of two years with two possible one-year extensions. CES RFBs normally have a two-year initial term with two possible one-year extensions. Renewals or extensions only occur if all parties are in mutual agreement. (13-1-150, 151 NMSA)

Multi-awarded contracts

Public review of CES’ RFBs/RFPs issued and/or awarded

Vendor Protest Resolution

Renewing, updating, and terminating contracts

The majority of CES’ vendor contracts are multi-term. Within each of the solicitation documents, the specific terms, conditions, and stipulations for the above items are clearly identified and stated.

Blue Book

Web site

Member Service Representatives

Newsletter

Hints and Reminders