Sound Transit earns highest accreditation for procurement practices

Honor recognizes 'best-in-class' contracting policies

Sound Transit is the recipient of the highest form of peer recognition and accreditation from the NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement. Nationwide only three public agencies currently hold the organization's Pareto Award of Excellence in Public Procurement. 

"Excellent procurement processes are among the most important ways Sound Transit guarantees taxpayers of the region are getting maximum value for their money," said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. "This award rightly recognizes our staff for their ceaseless efforts to ensure that each of our procurements are fair, credible and cost-effective.

Established in 2003 and named for Vilfredo Pareto, considered the father of scientific procurement, the NIGP award recognizes agencies distinguished as "best-in-class" based on a performance review across six domains of practice: Leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer Service, Process Management, Information Management and Performance Improvement. Sound Transit qualified by earning an Outstanding Agency Achievement Accreditation Award and pursuing the NIGP's rigorous process of self-assessment, documentation review and on-site third party evaluation. 

"Sound Transit's accomplishments serve as a beacon of light in NIGP's search for processes and procedures that ensure fairness and transparency in procurement," said NIGP Chief Executive Officer Rick Grimm. "Your operation stands tall in serving as a prime example of professionalism and proficiency in transit authority procurement."

Nine public procurement entities have pursued and achieved Pareto accreditation since its inception in 2003. The city of St. Petersburg; and Tampa International Airport, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority are the other two public agencies currently accredited. Sound Transit first earned Pareto accreditation, which is valid for five years, in 2012.