Contracting for Services in State and Local Government Agencies: Best Practices for Public Procurement

475 Pages·2022·2.592 MB·English

by  William Sims Curry

“Curry conducted new research for the current edition, and has 48 best practices
in contracting, which provide a detailed guide for government professionals and
students … This third edition by Curry is a welcome and needed addition to the
field.”
Robert Schick, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, United States.

Contracting for Services in State and
Local Government Agencies
Contracting for Services in State and Local Government Agencies: Best Practices
for Public Procurement, Third Edition provides state-of-the-art tools for best
practices in the procurement of services at state and local levels, throughout
the procurement cycle. Including lively case studies and research conducted
with state and local agencies across the United States, this award-winning book
provides management advice and tips on compliance to reduce costs, select
the best-qualified contractors, manage contractors’ performance, and prevent
corruption and waste.
Utilizing the results of new research across states, cities, counties, and
institutes of higher learning, this third edition offers 18 all-new best-practice
documents as well as updated methodologies and templates, including, but not
limited to: a full-length and short form request for proposal (RFP), a full-length
and short form pro forma contract (PFC), a letter contract, a sample estimate
at completion, a contract amendment template, and a form for evaluation of
proposals. Special consideration is given to obtaining services and products
during states of emergency. Several additional resources for instructors and
professionals are available online, including templates and PowerPoint slides.
The roadmap and templates contained in this book and available online to
readers will prove essential to state and local government agency contracting
professionals and other officials and employees called upon to participate in
the drafting of solicitations, writing sole source justifications, writing scopes
of work, serving on advance contract planning and source selection teams,
recommending award of contracts, or assisting in the management of those
contracts.
William Sims Curry is president of WSC Consulting, a small business
specializing in consulting on government procurement. Curry served as
an Air Force systems procurement officer and was employed in purchasing
management for prime contractors on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the
Department of Energy’s Positron Electron Project, and numerous Department
of Defense programs. He has authored three books and numerous articles and
research papers on government procurement. Curry is a Certified Professional
Contracts Manager and a Fellow by the National Contract Management
Association.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY
A Comprehensive Publication Program
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
DAVID H. ROSENBLOOM
Distinguished Professor of Public Administration
American University, Washington, DC
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For more information about this series please visit: https://www. routledge. com
/Public -Administration -and -Public -Policy /book -series /AUEPUBADMPUP
Contracting for Services in
State and Local Government
Agencies
Best Practices for Public Procurement
Third Edition
William Sims Curry
Cover image: Getty Images
Third edition published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 William Sims Curry
The right of William Sims Curry to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. The purchase of this copyright material confers the
right on the purchasing institution to photocopy or download pages
which bear a copyright line at the bottom of the page. No other parts
of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form
or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2009
Second edition published by Routledge 2016
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Curry, William Sims, author.
Title: Contracting for services in state and local government agencies:
best practices for public procurement / William Sims Curry.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022011855 (print) | LCCN 2022011856 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032306148 (hardback) | ISBN 9781003305910 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Contracting out–United States–States. | County
services–United States–Contracting out. | Municipal services–United
States–Contracting out. | Public contracts–United States–States.
Classification: LCC HD3861.U6 C87 2023 (print) | LCC HD3861.
U6 (ebook) | DDC 352.5/382130973–dc23/eng/20220419
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022011855
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022011856
ISBN: 9781032306148 (hbk)
ISBN: 9781032330969 (pbk)
ISBN: 9781003305910 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003305910
Typeset in Bembo
by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
Access the Support Material: www.routledge.com/9781032306148
Disclaimer
The subject matter included in this book should not be considered as legal
advice for specific cases or for general legal guidance. Readers should seek
such advice from their own legal counsel. The material in this text is pro-
vided solely for educational and informational purposes. However, all possible
circumstances could not be anticipated; therefore, individual situations may
require further evaluation prior to application of the solutions or recommenda-
tions presented herein.

To my wife, Kirsten, for her continued patience and support while I
was writing this third edition.
— Bill