Administrative Preparedness Strategies: Expediting Procurement and Contracting Cycle Times During an Emergency

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Administration
• Emergency Management

Background:

• Public health emergencies necessitate rapid acquisition of goods and services.
• Administrative preparedness processes aim to expedite procurement and contracting.
• Assessing the impact of these processes on cycle times is crucial for effective response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of administrative preparedness processes on procurement and contracting cycle times.
• To identify specific processes that reduce cycle times during public health emergencies.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for improving emergency procurement.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 2014-2015 Hospital Preparedness Program and Public Health Emergency Preparedness (HPP-PHEP) cooperative agreements.
• Comparison of procurement and contracting cycle times between HPP-PHEP awardees with and without specific administrative processes.
• Statistical analysis to determine the significance of observed differences in cycle times.

Main Results:

• Statutes allowing open market procurement significantly reduced estimated cycle times.
• Awardees with open market statutes had an average procurement cycle time of 6 days, compared to 17 days for those without (P = .04).
• Cooperative purchasing agreements also demonstrated an effect on reducing estimated procurement time.

Conclusions:

• Certain administrative processes, particularly open market statutes, are effective in reducing procurement and contracting cycle times during public health emergencies.
• Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) awardees are encouraged to adopt these efficient processes.
• Streamlining administrative procedures can enhance a jurisdiction's ability to respond effectively to emergencies.