CTCD Exam Preparation: Key Concepts and Definitions, Exams of Advanced Education

Key concepts and definitions relevant to the ctcd (presumably certified texas contract developer) exam. It covers topics such as bribery, conflict of interest, the roles of various procurement divisions and officers, contract management, and vendor performance tracking. It also includes information on hubs, the esbd, texas smartbuy, and standards of conduct for state employees. Useful for individuals preparing for the ctcd exam or those seeking a better understanding of texas procurement processes. It offers a concise overview of essential terminology and procedures.

Typology: Exams

2025/2026

Available from 09/21/2025

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CTCD Exam With 100% Correct Answers
2026
Bribery - Correct Answer-an attempt to influence the decisions of a procurement
professional through enticement with a POTENTIAL PERSONAL BENEFIT
How is bribery different than conflict of interest? - Correct Answer-bribery is the benefit
RECEIVED by procurement is SPECIFICALLY in exchange for a PARTICULAR
RESULT
Conflict of Interest (COI) - Correct Answer-the POSSIBILITY of influence by a
PERSONAL or FINANCIAL interest, and the potential benefit to employee is undefined
Statewide Procurement Division (SPD) - Correct Answer-central authority for state
agency procurement guidance, education, and statewide contract development
services.
Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) - Correct Answer-designated by comptroller, has
authority over state agency procurement
Statewide Procurement Policy and Outreach - Correct Answer--training and policy
development
-Outreach
-Procurement Oversight & Delegation
Statewide Contract Development and Contract Management - Correct Answer--
administers over 250 statewide contracts
-processes open mkt requisitions for state agencies, universities, and smartbuy
members
-engages term, managed, and TXMAS contracts
5 parts of the Statewide Procurement Division (SPD) - Correct Answer-1. contract
development
2. procurement policy and outreach
3. HUBs
4. contract management
5. statewide fleet, travel, and mail
Statewide Contract Management - Correct Answer-Assists with:
• Day-to-day contract management
• Contract administration
• Reporting requirements
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CTCD Exam With 100% Correct Answers

Bribery - Correct Answer-an attempt to influence the decisions of a procurement professional through enticement with a POTENTIAL PERSONAL BENEFIT How is bribery different than conflict of interest? - Correct Answer-bribery is the benefit RECEIVED by procurement is SPECIFICALLY in exchange for a PARTICULAR RESULT Conflict of Interest (COI) - Correct Answer-the POSSIBILITY of influence by a PERSONAL or FINANCIAL interest, and the potential benefit to employee is undefined Statewide Procurement Division (SPD) - Correct Answer-central authority for state agency procurement guidance, education, and statewide contract development services. Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) - Correct Answer-designated by comptroller, has authority over state agency procurement Statewide Procurement Policy and Outreach - Correct Answer--training and policy development -Outreach -Procurement Oversight & Delegation Statewide Contract Development and Contract Management - Correct Answer-- administers over 250 statewide contracts -processes open mkt requisitions for state agencies, universities, and smartbuy members -engages term, managed, and TXMAS contracts 5 parts of the Statewide Procurement Division (SPD) - Correct Answer-1. contract development

  1. procurement policy and outreach
  2. HUBs
  3. contract management
  4. statewide fleet, travel, and mail Statewide Contract Management - Correct Answer-Assists with:
  • Day-to-day contract management
  • Contract administration
  • Reporting requirements
  • Vendor performance issues Training & Policy Development - Correct Answer-• Conducts Policy Research
  • Provides Training and Certification for Procurement Professionals Outreach - Correct Answer-• Provides the Division's Customer Service Support Services through the Outreach Team
  • Performs solicitation reviews and issues letters of delegated purchasing authority Procurement Oversight and Delegation (POD) Portal - Correct Answer-• Requests for SPD delegated purchasing authority for service contracts valued at $100,000 or greater.
  • Solicitations with an anticipated value of $ million or greater that require CAT review,
  • Solicitations for major information resources projects that require QAT review. Contract Advisory Team (CAT) - Correct Answer-• Review and make recommendations on the solicitation documents for contracts with an estimated value of at least $5 million
  • CPA, DIR, HHSC, Office of the Governor, TFC, and DPS (SAO and LBB are technical advisors to the CAT and the OAG provides legal assistance to the CAT) Centralized Master Bidder's List (CMBL) - Correct Answer-• $5000 - $25,000 = Three active vendors on the CMBL (two HUB) must be solicited
  • $25,000 and greater = All eligible vendors on the list must be solicited Quality Assurance Team (QAT) - Correct Answer-• Approves project framework deliverables for major information resources projects valued at more than $1 million, partially executed contracts valued at $10 million or greater, and contract amendments greater than 10 percent of original contract value
  • LBB, DIR, and CPA. (SAO serves as an advisor) Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) - Correct Answer-• Promotes full and equal business opportunities

Texas SmartBuy - Correct Answer-Statewide contracts procured and managed by SPD must use a purchase order through this system. Policy and Outreach - Correct Answer-Conducts policy research, training and certification and customer support services. Statewide Mail Operations - Correct Answer-Provides state agencies and universities a variety of mail operations services. Statewide Contract Development and Contract Management - Correct Answer- Develops and manages statewide contracts for use by state agencies with a broad range of contracts for commodities and services. State Travel Management Program (STMP) - Correct Answer-Manages travel expenditures, including hotel, car rentals, airlines and travel agencies. Office of Vehicle Fleet Management (OVFM) - Correct Answer-Manages and assists agencies with their vehicles. Historically Underutilized Business Program - Correct Answer-Provides opportunities to disadvantaged groups in an effort to remedy disparity in state procurement contracting. Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) - Correct Answer-A web portal to post solicitations and learn of contract awards. Procurement Outreach and Delegation (POD) - Correct Answer-Reviews solicitations and issues a letter of delegation of purchasing authority for an anticipated contract value of $100,000 or greater. Centralized Master Bidder's List (CMBL) - Correct Answer-Master database that provides Texas procurement professionals the ability to foster competition between vendors. Agency Procurement Plans - Correct Answer-Collected for information on delegated purchases and determines if there are any possible gains with consolidating all the purchases together. Standards of conduct for state employees - Correct Answer-State Employees should not:

  • Accept gifts or other employment that could influence their work duties
  • Make personal investments that create a substantial conflict
  • Accept any benefit for exercising your official duties in favor of another Substantial Interest in a Business - Correct Answer-(1) controlling interest in the business (2) owns more than 10% of voting interest (3) owns more than $25,000 of business (4) has direct or indirect participating interest by shares, stock, or otherwise, regardless of voting rights, in more than 10% of profits, proceeds, or capital gains of the business entity (5) board of directors member (6) elected officer of business (7) employee of business Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest for Procurement Employees - Correct Answer--Disclose -Avoid Financial Interests Post Employment Restrictions (2 reasons and 2 different waiting periods) - Correct Answer-• Reduces Conflicts of Interests
  • Avoid Appearance of Improper Influence
  • 2 Years for State Employees
  • 4 Years for executive directors State Auditor's Office (SAO) - Correct Answer-coordinates investigatory work with internal auditors and law enforcement to pursue criminal conduct When is Vendor Communication allowed or not allowed? - Correct Answer-• Fact Gathering: Allowed
  • Drafting the Solicitation: Must Cease
  • During the Solicitation: Certain Time Points
  • Evaluation and Negotiation: Allowable between response due date and contract award Needs Assessment - Correct Answer-• Market Research
  • Historical Spend Analysis
  • Bench marking
  • Request for Information (RFI) cost estimate - Correct Answer-• Informal Budget Quotes
  • Funding Source
  • Allowable Use of Appropriated Funds Acquisition Plan - Correct Answer-• Identify the Contract Administration Team
  • Assign roles and responsibilities
  • Monitoring contract requirements

Proprietary Purchases - Correct Answer-A purchase where the specifications or conditions of the proposed purchase are proprietary to one vendor and do not permit an equivalent product or service to be supplied. (Sole source or competitive) Sole source purchases - Correct Answer-When a product or service is ONLY available for purchase through a single vendor Competitive purchases - Correct Answer-When a product or service is available for purchase through MORE THAN one vendor 3 Other SPD Non-Delegated Purchases - Correct Answer-• Mail and Messenger Services Contracts

  • Printing Services and In-House Copy Centers
  • Used Equipment SPD Delegated Purchases - Correct Answer-• Determining Contract Value
  • Min. Requirements for Delegated Purchases
  • SPD Delegation by Rule
  • SPD Review and Delegation Process
  • Competitive Bidding (IFBs, Informal Bidding)
  • Competitive Sealed Proposal Define Contract Value - Correct Answer-Estimated dollar amount that an agency may be obligated to pay pursuant to the contract and all executed and proposed amendments SPD Delegation by Rule - Correct Answer-• Purchase of $5,000 or less ("spot" purchases)
  • One-Time Purchase of Goods of $50,000 or less
  • Purchase of Services of $100,000 or less
  • Direct Publication
  • Perishable Goods Purchase
  • Distributor Purchase
  • Fuel, Oil, and Grease Purchase
  • Internal Repair Purchase
  • Emergency Purchase SPD Review and Delegation Process - Correct Answer-Delegation of SPD's purchasing authority is required for any procurement that is not addressed by SPD rule. For Goods over $50k, delegation request from SPD goes to _______________________________. - Correct Answer-Open Market Requisition (OMR) Email

For Services over $100k, delegation request from SPD goes to _______________________________. - Correct Answer-Procurement Oversight and Delegation (POD) Portal Texas Multiple Award Schedule (TXMAS) - Correct Answer-Adapted from existing competitively awarded gov. contracts, overlaid with SPD terms and conditions What do TXMAS contracts offer? (5 things) - Correct Answer-• Best Value

  • Negotiations
  • Texas SmartBuy
  • Offline Sales
  • Incidental, Off-Schedule Items Informal Bidding - Correct Answer-• Over $5,000 but not more than $25,
  • Must solicit from AT LEAST 3 vendors on CMBL
  • 2 of the CMBL vendors MUST be HUB certified
  • Must be within NIGP or Class/Item code Invitation for Bids (IFB) - Correct Answer-• A formal written competitive sealed bid
  • MUST BE posted to ESBD if over $25, Request for Proposals (RFPs) - Correct Answer-• Factors other than price are to be considered
  • Negotiations are desired
  • Requirements cannot be described by detailed specifications included in a PO
  • Vendor expected to provide innovative ideas Department of Information Resources (DIR) - Correct Answer-Coordinates and supports the IT and telecommunications needs of the State DIR Cooperative Contract Thresholds: Contract Value is no more than $50,000 - Correct Answer-Agency can award contract directly to vendor DIR Cooperative Contract Thresholds: Contract Value is more than $50,000, but not more than $1 million - Correct Answer- Agency must submit a Request for Pricing to AT LEAST 3 vendors in the NIGP category DIR Cooperative Contract Thresholds: More than $1 million, but not more than $ million - Correct Answer-Agency must submit a Request for Pricing to AT LEAST 6 vendors in the NIGP category

-does not encourage innovative solutions -negotiations are not allowed if there is more than one responsive bidder Disadvantages of an RFP or an RFO? - Correct Answer--lead time for procurement is much greater -evaluations tend to be more complex Disadvantages of an RFQ? - Correct Answer--vendor is selected before price is negotiated -2 step process Request for Applications (RFA) - Correct Answer-• Agency issues RFAs

  • Agency responsible for awarding grant funds
  • Not sanctioned for procuring goods and services Steps of a Solicitation - Correct Answer-1. Preparation
  1. Review and approval
  2. advertising
  3. communication with respondents
  4. receipt and control of respones Define procurement lead time - Correct Answer-The interval between a decision to purchase a good or service to when the contract is awarded. What should the internal Calendar of Events include? - Correct Answer-• Dates included in the EXTERNAL calendar
  • Milestone dates of activities or events
  • Pre-solicitation
  • Post-solicitation Scope of Work - Correct Answer-• Clear and thorough description of the products or services to be provided
  • Foster competition
  • Logically organized
  • Tailored to the agency business needs Descriptive Specifications - Correct Answer-• Provide the principal physical, functional, or other characteristics of a product or service
  • Should NOT include minimum or maximum characteristics
  • Avoid limiting competition by using brand names Restrictive Specifications - Correct Answer-• Limits competition
  • Don't customize a product or service when drafting
  • Result in proprietary procurements

Define deliverables - Correct Answer-Measurable task or outcome (e.g. product or service) Define milestone - Correct Answer-Event associated with a deliverable (means to gauge progress) Additional Concerns in the Scope of Work - Correct Answer-• Professional Licenses and Certifications

  • Established Standards
  • Monitoring Activities
  • Unique Requirements Payment and Pricing Terms - Correct Answer-• Disclosure of Budget
  • Reimbursement Methodologies
  • Advance Payment
  • Early Payment
  • Retainage
  • Invoice Requirements
  • State and Federal Tax Contract Termination - Correct Answer-• A contract term is a definite period of time
  • Must include a Termination for Non-Appropriations Clause if the term of a contract will cross a fiscal yr Terms and Conditions - Correct Answer-• Protects the agency from unintended risk
  • Add solicitation-specific T&Cs to "boilerplate" Terms and Conditions: Change Control - Correct Answer-Address unanticipated/anticipated changes to the scope, schedule, and pricing:
  • Transition Plans
  • Price Adjustment Based on an Index
  • Risk Mitigation Measures
  • Remedies 3 parts of Terms and Conditions - Correct Answer-change control, risk mitigation, remedies Terms and Conditions: Risk Mitigation - Correct Answer-• Financial Capability
  • Insurance
  • Surety Bonds
  • Warranties
  • Extended Warranty; Maintenance Agreement
  • Limitations of Liability Clauses Terms and Conditions: Remedies - Correct Answer-• Liquidated Damages

Receipt and Control of Responses - Correct Answer-• Receipt

  • Delivery by email, fax, etc
  • Responses opened in error or to confirm ID
  • Late Responses
  • Withdrawal of Response
  • Cancellation of Solicitation
  • Public Opening Option
  • Internal Procedures Phase 3: Vendor Selection - Correct Answer-• Administrative Review of Responses
  • Evaluation - Bid Tabulation Process
  • Evaluation - Evaluation Committee Process
  • Preferences Administrative Review of Responses - Correct Answer-• Examination of each response
  • Unsigned Response
  • Technical Assistance in Specification Preparation
  • Single Response Evaluation - Bid Tabulation Process - Correct Answer-• IFB responses evaluated on objective criteria
  • reviewed by second contract developer
  • responses prepared within 3 days Evaluation Committee requirements - Correct Answer-• Subject-matter experts and stakeholders with relevant expertise
  • Should be 3-5 people
  • Evaluation Committee established before vendor proposals are due
  • Uses evaluation criteria and scoring matrix to score vendor responses When is a Reference Check or Vendor Performance Tracking System Check completed? - Correct Answer-• References: If required by the solicitation
  • VPTS: Agencies are required to use VPTS to determine award of a contract Phase 4: Contract Formation and Award - Correct Answer-• Negotiations
  • Contract Formation
  • Contract Award
  • Contract & Amendment Notifications When are negotiations are permitted? - Correct Answer-- competitive sealed proposals
  • requests for offers
  • under DIR cooperative contracts
  • consulting services
  • professional services
  • TXMAS purchases
  • State Use Program purchases, when procuring services
  • sole source and competitive proprietary purchases
  • emergency purchases When are negotiations not permitted? - Correct Answer-IFBs, except when only one qualified bid received What is the negotiation team made up of? - Correct Answer-• Select employees with effective negotiation and communication skills
  • A lead negotiator should be designated
  • Leadership style, negotiation skills, and subject matter expertise are needed on team Performance Focused Negotiations - Correct Answer-• Focus on performance results
  • Based on the willingness of compromise
  • Effective listening, establishing goodwill, and the ability to leverage negotiations Legal Elements of a Contract - Correct Answer-Offer, Acceptance, Legal Purpose, Consideration, Certainty of Subject Matter, Competent Parties Agency Review of Required Disclosures and Vendor Compliance Verifications - Correct Answer-• TEC Disclosure of Interested Parties
  • Procurement and Contract Management Conflict of Interest Disclosure
  • Debarment Check
  • SAM Check
  • Iran, Sudan, and Foreign Terrorist Organization Check
  • Boycott Israel Check
  • Warrant/Payment Hold Check
  • Franchise Tax Check Where are Contract and Amendment Notifications posted? - Correct Answer-• ESBD Notice of Award
  • Texas Register Notice of Award
  • QAT Notification of Award of Major Information Resource Project (MIRP)
  • LBB Reporting
  • Agency Website Posting Debriefings and Protest of Award - Correct Answer-• Debriefing meetings are limited to a discussion of the vendor's response.
  • Generally requested by the vendor (but determined by agency policy)
  • Agencies MUST adopt rules that provide an unsuccessful vendor the opportunity to protest procurement actions

Can you pay a vendor to gather info? - Correct Answer-No, you cannot What is the DIR dollar amount cap for a contract? - Correct Answer-$5 MILLION. RFO after that. Where can you find a list of HUBs? - Correct Answer-CMBL where do you purchase term contracts? - Correct Answer-TX Smart Buy Where do contracts go for goods and services over $5 million? - Correct Answer-CAT review Where do contracts go for IT procurements over $5 million? - Correct Answer-QAT What's another name for a IT Pcontract over $1 million? - Correct Answer-Major Information Resource Project (MIRP) What agency has delegation over IT? - Correct Answer-DIR What forms are to be filled out when your contract value is over $1 million? - Correct Answer-Nepotism Form & Form 1295 Who gets a Nepotism Form? - Correct Answer-State Auditor's Office Who do you turn a Form 1295 into? - Correct Answer-State Ethics Commission Who fills out the Form 1295? - Correct Answer-Vendor complete the form Who fills out the Nepotism form? - Correct Answer-Contracting team members complete the form What agency has authority over goods and services? - Correct Answer-Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) Where do you get signature delegation authority for services over $100,000? - Correct Answer-Procurement Oversight & Delegation (POD) What are the purchasing process steps?

  1. surplus - Correct Answer-1. ____________________
  2. set aside
  3. sister/other agencies
  4. term managed contract
  5. TXMAS (optional)
  6. Delegation of Purchasing Authority

What are the purchasing process steps?

  1. set aside - Correct Answer-1. surplus

  2. sister/other agencies
  3. term managed contract
  4. TXMAS (optional)
  5. Delegation of Purchasing Authority What are the purchasing process steps?
  6. sister/other agencies - Correct Answer-1. surplus
  7. set aside

  8. term managed contract
  9. TXMAS (optional)
  10. Delegation of Purchasing Authority What are the purchasing process steps?
  11. Term Managed Contract - Correct Answer-1. surplus
  12. set aside
  13. sister/other agencies

  14. TXMAS (optional)
  15. Delegation of Purchasing Authority What are the purchasing process steps?
  16. TXMAS (optional) - Correct Answer-1. surplus
  17. set aside
  18. sister/other agencies
  19. term managed contract

  20. Delegation of Purchasing Authority What are the purchasing process steps?
  21. Delegation of Purchasing Authority - Correct Answer-1. surplus
  22. set aside
  23. sister/other agencies
  24. term managed contract
  25. TXMAS (optional)

At what contract amount do you report on vendors to VPTS? - Correct Answer-$25, and over