Arizona Administrative Code
Title 7 - EDUCATION
Chapter 2 - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Article 10 - SCHOOL DISTRICT PROCUREMENT
Part I - IN GENERAL
Section R7-2-1008 - Procurement Consultants and Procurement Advisory Groups

A. The school district may contract with a procurement consultant to assist in drafting specifications, in the development of solicitations, or in the management of the procurement process. A procurement consultant may provide guidance or advice to a procurement evaluation committee, but shall not serve as a voting member of such committee. For the purposes of this Section, a school district employee or a contracted business manager or purchasing director for the school district is not a procurement consultant.

B. The school district may appoint procurement advisory groups or evaluation committees to assist with respect to specifications, solicitation evaluations or procurement in specific areas. Members of such procurement advisory groups or evaluation committees are not procurement consultants as set forth in this Section. Non-school district employees serving on such procurement advisory groups or evaluation committees are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for reimbursement of expenses consistent with the school district's travel policy adopted pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-342(5).

C. A procurement consultant, a member of a procurement advisory group, or a member of an evaluation committee who participates in any aspect of a specific procurement shall be prohibited from receiving any benefit directly or indirectly from a contract for such procurement, and shall sign a procurement disclosure statement that the person has no interest in the procurement other than that of a disclosed remote interest, as defined in A.R.S. § 38-502, will have no contact with any representative of a competing vendor related to the particular procurement except those contacts specifically authorized by these rules, and has not accepted any personal gift or benefit from a person or vendor that has secured or has taken steps to secure a contract, purchase, payment, claim or financial transaction with the school district or school purchasing cooperative. The procurement disclosure statements shall be retained in the procurement file.

D. Specifications prepared by a procurement consultant or a procurement advisory group shall comply with R7-2-1010 through R7-2-1016.

E. The school district shall not delegate to a procurement consultant, a procurement advisory group, or an evaluation committee the authority for the award or administration of any particular contract, or over any dispute, claim or litigation pertaining thereto, and a procurement consultant or a procurement advisory group shall not be authorized to obligate the school district in any manner.