Washington, DC - The District of Columbia's Office of Contracting and Procurement has won the 2007 National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) George Cronin Silver Award for Procurement Excellence.  The award was given to the District for its innovative online auction process of surplus government property.  

"This award highlights the significant improvements we have made in the way we collect, inventory, valuate, and dispose of excess and surplus property," said acting Chief Procurement Officer David P. Gragan.  "District taxpayers should feel at ease in knowing that our efforts to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability are working.  We are getting the best value for taxpayer dollars."

The online auction for the disposal of District government surplus property began in 2005. The District, in conjunction with Liquidity Services, Inc., a property asset disposition firm, oversees the online auctions and provides direct guidance to new and previous bidders.  From December 2006 to May 2007, the District sold nearly 30,000 items through its online auction process, generating $3.8 million in revenue. The cash flow from the sale of the District's surplus assets is deposited directly back into the treasury and re-allocated to agencies and programs within the government. 

In granting the award, NASPO stated, "As a result of the District's contract with LSI, Inc., it has generated real value in the form of greater revenue from the sale of surplus property; experienced substantial reductions in the cost of storing and selling surplus property; and renewed trust in the value of its property disposal program.  This innovative and replicable solution has brought great credit to the contracting office in the District government." 

The Cronin Award honors outstanding public procurement initiatives and promotes the adoption of these ideas and practices throughout the Country.  Since 1985, the Cronin Awards have recognized innovative state procurement programs and promoted the sharing of ideas between states. NASPO was formally established on January 29, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. 

For more information about the District's procurement process, please call 202-727-0252.  For more information about NASPO, please visit their website at http://www.naspo.org.