NIGP CPP FOCUS AREA 4-7 COMBINED SET QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS

NIGP CPP FOCUS AREA 4-7 COMBINED SET QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS Necessary steps that should occur in the recruiting process: - Answer-Develop a pipeline of potential candidates. Create an internship program. Conduct community-level recruitment (ongoing) Network in the community. Participate in job fairs. Partner with other entities (universities, etc.) Promote the profession to the community. Promote the profession/department on social media. Necessary steps that should occur in the hiring process: - Answer-Identify the need for the position. Receive approval for the new position. Publicize the job posting. Review applications. Interview the candidates. Check references/perform background checks. Select the most qualified person for the job. Onboard the new employee. The (5) connecting principles: - Answer-Connecting increases your influence in every situation; Connecting is all about others; Connecting goes beyond words; Connecting always requires energy; and Connecting is more skill than natural talent The (5) connecting practices: - Answer-Connectors connect on common ground; Connectors do the difficult work of keeping it simple; Connectors create an experience everyone enjoys; Connectors inspire people; and Connectors live what they communicate. 4 Components to Connecting - Answer-visually, intellectually, emotionally, and verbally DISC - Answer-Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness Leaders with good problem-solving ability demonstrate five qualities: - Answer-anticipate problems, accepts the truth, see the bid picture, handle one thing at a time, and don't give up on a major goal when feeling discouraged Lean Six Sigma discipline 5 Whys - Answer-This strategy helps get to the root of the problem and avoids treating symptoms instead of the cause of the problem. Every time you ask why, it helps you get to the next layer of the problem. Seven steps to problem solving: - Answer-(1) Clearly identify the problem (2) Actively listen to stakeholders and seek to understand everyone's perspective (3) Brainstorm and list all possible options to solve the problem. (4) Evaluate by determining the benefits and disadvantages of each option. (5) Select the best option(s). (6)Document the agreed-to solution. (7) Monitor the effectiveness of the implemented solution and evaluate the outcome. A member of the staff has requested approval to attend the NIGP Annual Forum. This staff member has been written up for violating rules and regulations. He has a poor attendance record and is not as productive as some of the other staff members. However, the manager feels that if this request is denied, someone will interpret the decision to be discriminatory. If this person is selected, others who are more deserving cannot attend and will be penalized unfairly. If the manager elects to send this person, an uncomfortable HR issue can be avoided. What do you think would be the best thing to do? - Answer-refuse to sign the approval and counsel the employee, explaining why the request has been denied As cross functional teams begin to multiply in the organization, what steps should be taken to ensure quality participation by staff and the continuity of the work flow within the department? - Answer-cross training for operational support The Procurement Official for a state agency notices that a new Procurement professional is eating lunch frequently with the same office supply sales representative. The agency does not have a policy prohibiting employees from accepting lunches from suppliers, but the manager is becoming increasingly concerned about the frequency of lunch appointments with the representative. As the manager, what would be the best approach to take in this situation? - Answer-advise the procurement professional of the importance in public procurement of avoiding the appearance of favoritism and unethical behavior The transit system needed to replace outdated buses. The director of the transit system leaked word to bus manufacturers about the upcoming solicitations. The person in charge of transportation contracts was inundated with offers from suppliers willing to provide all expense paid site visits for the committee working on the solicitation. The companies wanted to ensure that "proper" specifications were written. What direction should the head of the procurement department provide? - Answer-decline the all expense paid trip(s) in favor of a trip organized, planned and paid for by the agency A Physical Therapist insists that a specific purchase should be made from one company and files it as a sole-source procurement. The dollar value is above the single quote limit and you notify her. She continues to insist this company is the only one to meet her needs but provides no explanation why. When you explain the requirement for sole source documentation she becomes verbally abusive. What do you do? - Answer-document the situation and wait for the physical therapist to call you back once she has cooled off Within the first six months of employment with the city, a procurement professional is assigned to handle the mailing services contract (valued at $125,000 annually) which must be re-competed since all available renewal options on the existing contract have been exercised. Upon reviewing the file, the procurement professional notices that a mailing company which is owned by his godmother's brother has won the contract the last two times it was competed. The end user has been satisfied with the performance and has directed the procurement professional to make sure this company is on the list of companies to be solicited for the new contract. What should the procurement professional do? - Answer-advise the supervisor of a possible appearance of a conflict of interest A procurement officer is responsible for preparing a monthly report on the Procurement Card (PCard) program. The report requires information from other departments in order to complete his report. A staff member located in another department is consistently late in providing information for the report. The procurement director is aware that the officer is experiencing problems with obtaining the needed information. He is reliable with all of his other job responsibilities despite being late each month with the PCard report. The officer's ability to submit reports on time is an appraisal objective in his annual performance evaluation. Should his tardiness in completing his reports be reflected as sub-standard work in his performance evaluation? - Answer-No, because his supervisor should remove all obstacles that would hinder his progress in completing required tasks and that prevents him from putting his best efforts forward in submitting reports in a timely manner The procurement manager for the City of Marionville has been in office for just over one year. Her supervisor has complained that her department processes purchase orders at a snail's pace. Prior to her employment in the Procurement Department, her four employees did not receive a performance review for over 5 years. Despite her efforts to establish individual work plans and goals for each employee, clear evidence indicates that three of the four employees lack motivation and are poor performers. As the next performance evaluation approaches, what action should the manager take with the three poor performers? - Answer-prepare their performance evaluations and seek input from them on what is needed in order to perform at a higher level Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones were benchmarking their procurement practices, and at some point the conversation turned to how they managed their staff. Mr. Smith, was a self-admitted "micro-manager" type and proud of it. He not only had an electronic procurement system, but an extensive companion "how to" manual that explained to an exact degree how to make entries in the electronic system. In addition, every transaction went through his "approval mailbox." He set up the system this way because he could then reduce risk to a minimum since he was in control. He wasn't getting a lot done, but by gosh it was all correct. Which theory most closely portrays Mr. Smith's management style? - Answer-McGregor's Theory X a regimented management approach and assumes that employees have a distaste for work and lack ambition. Theory X managers must organize all elements of the work, direct employee efforts, and control their actions to fit the needs of the organization. Budget departments and agencies of public organizations rely heavily on procurement agencies to do what? - Answer-provide market data, assist in forecasting and provide cost data by understanding the budget process of the organization A cross-organizational team was established to achieve cost savings through the use of cooperative contracts. The top leaders of all five involved organizations have unanimously and publicly heralded the outcome of this joint effort as a great way to get the "biggest bang" for the taxpayers' and stakeholders' money. This is the second bi-weekly meeting of the team and there is a lot of questioning concerning the need for the team as well as complaints about the additional burden the project work will impose on the team members. Which of the following phases would best describe where the team is now? - Answer-storming. As the team begins to move towards its goals, members discover that the team can't live up to all their early excitement and expectations. A cross-functional team that has been working together for a significant period of time will tend to be: - Answer-very productive because the team members will know the other participants and have knowledge of all of the teams' goals and objectives sourcing strategies - Answer-alternative procurement plans that give guidance to assess, evaluate, and manage the supply base in ways that are consistent with overall entity objectives