乱伦社区

As a public agency, delivering best value means delivering equity-centered partnerships. Equity here means that access barriers are removed so all businesses and individuals are able to access these opportunities, particularly focusing on barriers for small or disadvantaged businesses.

• Accessible Opportunities: UW Procurement solicits bids for contracts through publicly posted listings, maintains resources for individuals and businesses to increase their visibility with UW programs needing goods and services, provides support for businesses new to UW partnerships, and continues to promote diverse and small business spending through outreach activities.
• Small and Diverse Business Spending: UW utilizes registered businesses from the Small Business Administration, the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises, and UW鈥檚 Business Registration to identify small and diverse suppliers for supplier searches and market research for potential contracts.
• Community Impact: UW contracts are limited term, either for one activity or a defined service period, allowing opportunity for new partnerships and economic growth spread throughout the community rather than isolated to a business or individual.

UW鈥檚 business processes, decisions, and impacts are recorded, reported, and assessed for effectiveness to build trust in relationships with the community.

• Increased Review with Increased Spend: All spending is required to be necessary to the UW program鈥檚 business needs and essential to the university mission, but as the purchasing amount is increased, additional reviews, approvals, as well as the opportunity sharing through solicitation is required.
• Documentation of Search Processes: The market research needed to identify a supplier for a sole source in contracting requires documentation of best value for the university and instruction to include diverse suppliers in the search.
• Tracked Spending: UW tracks diverse spending and UW departments set goals to maintain and increase diverse spending annually.

Since UW serves so many individuals and populations, there are required processes to minimize risk in UW partnerships and protect the served community in real and digital spaces.

• Reciprocity in Agreements: UW agreements are created to protect both the public assets of the university, its students, staff, patients, and served community members, and to protect the partnered business or individual with a fair and reasonable distribution of benefits and risks.
• Protections for the Vulnerable: UW agreements increase safeguards both with terms and process as risk increases, particularly when the risks fall on vulnerable populations.
• Ownership with Agency: UW programs use agreements and other types of documents to maintain consensual working relationships with community businesses and individuals, defining the ownership, roles, outcomes, responsibilities, and risks.

UW is a university and a government agency. As both, it will follow all Washington laws and university policies when partnering with the community. These laws and policies are designed to make it so there will not be unfair advantages given to preferred businesses or individuals, and that UW is spending in a way that creates best value for Washington. The payment and partnership pathways listed below outline the day-to-day business processes of the UW, the laws and policies that direct them, and the barriers which can arise for community partners or participants. By understanding the policies and potential barriers, UW programs can select the pathways which will work best for their business needs and successful community partnerships, all while maintaining the needed compliance.