Emergency Procurement

Policy Summary

During a university Emergency it may not be advantageous or practicable for the university to use competitive bidding methods or to follow standard administrative processes that could delay expeditious response efforts. Therefore, the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer may waive competitive bidding and approve expedited procurement of goods and services that are essential in the response to an Emergency.

Who is Governed by this Policy 

• Staff
• Faculty

Policy

Divisions, departments, and schools should, on an ongoing basis, anticipate their need for goods and services so that procurements during Emergencies can be avoided. In the event of an Emergency, divisions, departments, and offices are required to follow standard procurement policies when possible. However, if circumstances warrant immediate acquisition of goods or services to respond to an Emergency, the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), or the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer (VP), may waive competitive bidding requirements to acquire goods or services with costs expected to exceed the quotes/formal bid processes thresholds. This waiver must be documented in written form or by e-mail. In addition, at the direction of the CFO or VP, the Associate Vice President, Procure-to-Pay (AVP) shall establish appropriate procedures for Emergency procurement to maintain the continuity of the university’s business operations. 

Procurement of goods and services acquired in response to a university Emergency should be coordinated with the Office of Emergency Management, a unit of the Office of Safety and Security, to maintain effective incident management. Prior to the acquisition of any goods or services, divisions, departments and offices must confirm that sufficient departmental funds are available to cover the costs of procurements and, if they are not, must specifically request the funds from the CFO or the VP. Approval of such requests must be in written form or by e-mail. Divisions, departments, and offices must track Emergency spending and submit financial documentation and reasoning for the Emergency procurement to the Procure-to-Pay Department within 30 days of the conclusion of the incident or upon request.   

Purchase agreements entered into in a manner that is inconsistent with university procurement policy by any person shall be voidable by the university.  

Definitions

Emergency: An occurrence, whether natural or human-caused, intentional or accidental, that threatens the health or safety of the GW community, causes loss or damage to university property or environment, and/or disrupts normal university operations and, therefore, warrants immediate action. 

Procedures

• Emergency Operations Plan

Forms

• Procure-to-Pay Forms

Related Information

• Procurement Policy

Contacts