Who is responsible for purchasing commodities and general services for the City?
OCA is generally responsible for purchasing commodities and general services on behalf of City departments. However, OCA may at its option delegate this authority to departments. Additionally, under Admin Code Sections 21.04, 21A and 21.42, departments have the authority to purchase certain goods and services without OCA's approval. Such transactions, however, must still comply with all City laws and programs.
Can I purchase commodities and general services using a stand-alone PO or do I need a contract?
Unlike purchases for professional services, software and online content which always require a contract, purchases for commodities and general services can be procured using one-time stand-alone purchase orders with City's standard PO terms or through a multi-year contract.
A one-time stand-alone purchase order is suitable for non-recurring purchases of commodities and general services. If the transaction is $10K or less, City departments are delegated with the authority to issue the purchase order without going through OCA. However, if the transaction is over $10K, it must be processed through OCA.
A multi-year contract is suitable for recurring purchases of commodities and general services over $10,000. This is because it is generally more efficient and cost effective to put recurring transactions on a multi-year contract than buy them one by one. Depending on the purchase, OCA may create the contract specifically for your department or make it available citywide for all city department to use.
Where can I learn more about issuing purchase orders and contracts for commodities and general services?
Click on the resources below to learn more about issuing purchase orders and contracts for commodities and general services. But remember, before issuing any one-time purchase order or requesting a contract, always check OCA's Term Contract List to see if what you need is already available on an OCA citywide contract.