State of Maryland Announces Reorganization of the State’s Procurement Process

Maryland Department of General Services Announces Office of State Procurement

BALTIMORE, MD – The Department of General Services today announced the reorganization and consolidation of Maryland state procurement with the establishment of the Office of State Procurement. The new office transfers procurement control and oversight authority and responsibilities to the Maryland Department of General Services from the Departments of Budget and Management and Information Technology, as well as the capital construction unit of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

“Over the past two years, our administration has worked hard to build a procurement system that is efficient and effective for Marylanders,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “By modernizing the way Maryland deals with procurement, we have created a more efficient, streamlined, and transparent system that allows the state to get the best value for every dollar spent.”

“Creating a more centralized procurement system ensures that state resources are being used efficiently,” said Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford. “Consistent application of procurement law, regulation, policy, practice, and procedure is an important part of changing Maryland for the better.”

The state procurement reorganization was mandated by the 2017 House Bill 1021 (Chapter 590, Laws of Maryland 2017). The bill evolved from the work of the Governor’s Commission to Modernize State Procurement, which was established in February 2016 and chaired by Lt. Governor Rutherford. The commission’s final report had 57 recommendations for improvements in state procurement, which were incorporated into  House Bill 1021.

“General Services has been diligently working with the other state agencies to create a process to drive transparency, quality, and compliance,” said General Services Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. “The Office of State Procurement will provide the tools necessary to take Maryland into the next generation of procurement.”

The newly consolidated procurement units will be responsible for procuring state commodities and services, as well as the management of the new eMaryland Marketplace Advantage e-procurement platform. In its new formation, the office will also have additional responsibilities for continuing education training of the state’s procurement officers to ensure the unit maintains a professional workforce.

The Office of State Procurement will be headed by a Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), who will be responsible for all procurement activities for the state’s executive branch. Governor Hogan has appointed Robert E. Gleason, who previously served as the Senior Procurement Executive for Maryland, to this position. Prior to joining Maryland government in 2017, Mr. Gleason was the senior procurement officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he also managed Virginia’s enterprise eProcurement program. He has over 25 years in public and private purchasing and is a Certified Public Purchasing Officer.

“I’m honored Governor Hogan has asked me to lead General Services’ new Office of State Procurement,” said Robert Gleason. “We’ve worked hard since passage of this legislation to put the right policies and team in place to make our state’s procurement operations more effective, efficient, and transparent, and allow us to take advantage of the economies of scale to benefit our state and all stakeholders.”

The CPO will chair the Procurement Improvement Council, previously called the Procurement Advisory Council, which is required to ensure state procurement uses the most advanced procurement methods, techniques, policies, and procedures for all procurement and contract management activities. Additionally, the CPO will advise the Board of Public Works on the procurement process and recommend regulation changes, as well as the General Assembly on proposed legislation to enhance efficiency and transparency in state procurement.

###

About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; and providing essential services such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security at state buildings.