CSULB Purchasing Operations Manual
Introduction
The contents of this CSULB Purchasing Operations Manual are intended to serve as a general guideline for campus employees (including Purchasing Department administrators, buyers, and other Department personnel) in the conduct of business transactions for the benefit of the University.
There are six (6) major Sections into which the Manual is divided. Section 1 addresses the subject of “Authority for Transactions”-- i.e., how the responsibilities for procurement operations are transferred within the CSU from the Trustees to other tiers of the organization. Each of the next five Sections (2-6) relates to a general class of transaction. Section 2, for example, relates to procedural requirements common to all transactions—primarily those for purchases, service orders, and contracts. Section 3 addresses transactions solely for commodities, while Section 4 shows requirements that are specific for service acquisitions. Section 5 contains certain requirements that are unique to computer edp (Information Technology) transactions. Finally, Section 6, the last Section in the Manual, speaks to special conditions that must be addressed to undertake the sale or lease of campus property or services. Each of the six Section divisions is further subdivided into narratives that focus on specific aspects of the general subject matter. These narratives are arranged into what is, hopefully, a logical order of sequence within each Section. An alphabetical index is also located at the very front of the Manual to accommodate searches for various subject matter.
The Manual’s material is largely reflective of State of California Statute, CSU Trustees’ system-wide Policy, and local campus procedures and practices as promulgated by numbered Procurement & Support Services (PSS) Director’s Memos issued since 1992. These are all cited as references within the Sections.
The majority of legal references from California Statute are found within the Public Contract Code (PCC) and the Education Code. However, other California Codes are occasionally cited herein as well. The website for finding California Codes is leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html. The most recent State Budget Act, which has a few Sections in its final pages that relate to State purchasing and contracting operations, may be observed on the website.
Both the CSU system-wide Policy Manual and Contracting Resource Library (CRL) references are located on the website.
Note: Policy for Public Works contracts and Professional Services agreements related to Public Works can be found in (1) State University Administrative Manual (especially Sections X-XII), (2) Major Capital Outlay Projects Construction Phase Manual, and (3) A/E Design Process and Requirements training manual.