Authorization to Procure

Prior to acquiring any information technology assets, the requesting Registry of Deeds shall comply with the following procedure: (1) Procurement Coordinator - The individual in charge of a Registry initiating a procurement of IT Resources will designate an employee of the Registry to serve as the Procurement Coordinator concerning that procurement. TheProcurementCoordinatorwillcoordinate the Registry’s interactions with the Secretary for that procurement. (2) Notice of Proposed Procurement - The Procurement Coordinator will notify the Secretary that the Registry intends to procure IT Resources. This notification will be in the form of a Notice of Proposed Procurement in a form to be determined by the Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division. The Notice of Proposed Procurement will: (a) identify the Registry and the name and address to which the goods and services are to be delivered; (b) state the name, address, telephone number and title of the Procurement Coordinator; (c) describe the IT Resources the Registry intends to obtain; (d) identify the IT Initiative that the procurement will implement; (e) identify the procurement method and form of contract the Registry expects to make with a selected vendor; (f) summarize the Registry needs which the procurement is expected to satisfy; and (g) state the method of vendor selection. If the method to be requested is noncompetitive, the Registry Procurement Coordinator should identify its choice of vendor. (3) Screening Conference - The Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division will confer with the Registry Procurement Coordinator to review the Notice of Proposed Procurement. The Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division will offer advice concerning the nature and scope of the procurement described in the Notice and offer assistance in the acquisition of the IT Resource(s). At the request of the Registry, other officers or employees may participate in the conference. The Director ofthe Secretary’s Automated Systems Division may adjourn and reconvene the conference, if necessary to accommodate their participationor to complete the work described in 950 CMR 120.06. (a) At or following the Screening Conference, the Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division may request: 1. any additional supporting documents required from the Registry, 2. the justification supporting a Registry's request to select a vendor by method other than a competitive process. (b) The Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division will consider the nature, scope and importance of the IT Resource requested, in determining what supporting documents are necessary for it to review the request and justify its approval. Examples of the kinds of supporting documents the Director may require are: 1. portions of the Registry IT Plan, with any updates or revisions necessary to reconcile the plan with the Request 2. a Feasibility Study report. 3. a Requirements Definition report, 4. a confirmation that the estimated funds are available for the request, and 5. the staff to effectively support the planned acquisition are available. (4) Preparation And Submission of Acquisition Request. The Registry Procurement Coordinator will complete an acquisition request in a form to be determined by the Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division. The Procurement Coordinator will coordinate the preparation of the supporting documents. The acquisition request form will (a) state whether funds sufficient to cover the estimated amounts to be paid to the contractor in the fiscal year in which the contract term is to begin are available; and (b) identify the Registry IT initiative that the proposed procurement would implement. The Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division will review the acquisition request. Based on this review, the Secretary may approve, reject or return the request, requiring additional information or supporting documentation. The Director ofthe Secretary’s Automated Systems Division review will take into consideration the following factors: (c) the requested IT resource will provide a technically feasible solution to the problems that gave rise to the request; (d) the proposed IT resource is a cost-effective solution among the feasible alternatives; (e) the request is consonant with the Secretary’s IT Plan and the Registry IT Plan; (f) the Registry has the capability to implement and support/maintain the IT resource; and (g) a method of procurement is available. (5) Information Technology Acquisition - Once the request is approved by the Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division it will be forward to any other approval authorities that are required. Once all approvals are obtained, the appropriate procurement documents will be prepared. The specifications will be prepared by Registry initiating the request. Assistance will be provided by the Director of the Secretary’s Automated Systems Division. The method of acquisition must be approved by the Director of Administration and Fiscal within the Secretary’s Office.