How Specifications Are Formulated. Among the 38 States reporting centralized purchasing, there are 9 States where specifications are formulated by the State purchasing agency; 16 States where specifications are formulated by the purchasing agency in cooperation with the departments concerned, committee, or specialists; and 4 States by a specifications committee. Table 7 shows in detail how specifications are formulated in different States. TABLE 7.-How specifications are formulated by State purchasing agencies [Based on 38 States] By departments concerned. By purchasing agency in cooperation with departments concerned, committee, or specialists.. $7 Other.. 18.4 Total. 38 100.0 Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Colorado and Missouri. California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Includes "various ways" (Illinois); "specifications based on experience and tests made by the testing division of the University of Nebraska" (Nebraska); "Bureau of Standards" (New York); "no specific specifications, sometimes make use of Government specifications" (North Dakota); "have no set type or brand to buy" (Kentucky); "United States and Department of Agriculture specifications largely used, aso Bureau of Standards, and from scientific department of the State of Oklahoma" (Oklahoma); "Department of Public Works and Purchasing Standardization Committee" (Rhode Island). Extent to Which States Use Specifications of the Federal Government and of National Trade or Technical Associations. Among the 38 States with centralized purchasing, 13 States use specifications of the Federal Government or of the national trade or technical associations extensively or frequently, and 13 States use only when applicable. Table 8 shows the extent of use of nationally recognized specifications and gives the names of the States. TABLE 8.-Extent to which States use specifications of the Federal Government and of national trade or technical associations Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon, Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Alabama, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Florida, Iowa (Federal Specifications are used on meat), Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Virginia. 272496-41-No. 24-19 Commodities for Which Written Specifications Have Been Prepared by One or More States. The following is a list of commodities for which written specifications have been prepared by one or more States: Arrangements Made for Testing Samples Submitted With Bids. It is interesting to note that the arrangements made for testing samples submitted with bids are very different throughout the 38 States with centralized purchasing. The following illustrates the facilites used by various States for this purpose: Alabama: "Some tested in own laboratory, some submitted to outside laboratories." Arizona: "Left to the executive officer and institution stewards." California: "Division of Highways Laboratory, Department of Agriculture Inspection Service on meats, Pure Food and Drug Laboratory." Colorado: "Highway Laboratory tests equipment, oils, asphalt, etc." Connecticut: "Samples with bids, tested in State laboratories, such as Highway, Agricultural Experiment Station, etc. Some use of Commercial Laboratories where special equipment not owned by the State is required." Florida: "State Chemist is used where possible, also U. S. Bureau of Standards." Illinois: "Private and State agencies." Indiana: "Groceries are tested by the bureau and State Board of Health. Meats are inspected by Bureau of Agricultural Economics." Iowa: "Most commodities are tested by the Purchasing Agent. Coffee and teas are tested by an expert tester, butter by the State Agricultural Department. Occasionally the state Chemist tests various items, such as seeds, etc. Kentucky: "Samples are tested when needed in the laboratories of the University of Kentucky and the Highway Department." Maine: "Laboratory facilities at University of Maine, and the use of industrial laboratories for textiles." Maryland: "Federal Bureau of Standards, Federal Bureau of Mines Laboratory make some tests." Massachusetts: "The Purchasing Bureau maintains its own laboratory for testing samples." Michigan: "Purchasing Agents' experience and Michigan State College." Minnesota: "Samples are tested by individual testing agencies, Highway Department Testing Laboratory, Agricultural Testing Laboratory, U. S. Department of Agriculture for meats." Missouri: "State laboratories." Montana: "Samples are tested in state and college laboratories. Some items are tested in commercial laboratories." Nebraska: "All tests are made by the testing division of the University of Nebraska if there is any question of quality." New Hampshire: "The facilities of the State Highway Department and State University are available when required." New Jersey: "If specifications of bid require samples for testing, said samples are tested by various agencies at command of State Purchasing Department." New York: "Samples are not submitted with bid, except in a few cases, at which time the samples in question are tested by the Bureau of Standards." North Carolina: "Our own testing laboratories and utilize those of other State departments and those of our colleges." North Dakota: "Some samples are sent to the State laboratories for testing." Ohio: "Require samples to be submitted with bids on most food products, and on any other products where feasible. Laboratory tests made at discretion of Supt. of Purchases and Printing. All flour tested through private tieup." Oklahoma: "Bureau of Standards, Board of Health, Board of Agriculture, and laboratories of state institutions and departments." Oregon: "State Lab." Pennsylvania: "Laboratory controlled and in laboratories, Pennsylvania, Department of Property and Supplies, Bureau of Standards." Rhode Island: "State Materials, Engineer; other State Laboratories." Tennessee: "Certain institutions and departments are equipped for testing samples of articles they request." Texas: "On articles where quality is unknown we either test them in this office, or send them to one of the state owned laboratories." Utah: "Very adequate system, no central warehouse. We sometimes put our men at mfg. plant for paint, etc., otherwise just go on the judgment of this office and using agency." Vermont: "Various Food stuffs tested at Vermont State Hospital, Waterbury, Tt. We use the Highway Testing, Agricultural and Extension Service Laboratories." Virginia: "State Laboratory-Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C. All groceries are purchased by samples and samples are tested when purchase is made." St Purchasing Department of Board of Control, one of the two purchasing agencies in the Washington: "In all instances where purchases made as per sample, comparison is made of deliveries with original sample. Laboratory tests made of samples of nearly all purchases of consequence based on specification." West Virginia: "Tests conducted by testing laboratories." Wisconsin: "Use commercial testing laboratories, Federal Government agencies, technical laboratories at educational institutions and Highway Testing Laboratories." Wyoming: "State Laboratory." Use of Tests To Determine Compliance With Specifications. Among the 38 States with centralized purchasing, tests are regularly made on all commodities in 22 States, while tests are never made in 1. State. Table 9 shows the extent of the use of tests and gives the names of the States. TABLE 9.-Use of tests to determine compliance with specifications by State purchasing agencies 1 Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia. 2 Colorado and Washington. * Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Virginia. 5 Wyoming. Testing Laboratories of State Purchasing Agencies. Among the 38 States with centralized purchasing, 13 States maintain testing laboratories and 25 do not maintain such laboratories. Table 10 shows the extent of maintaining testing laboratories and gives the names of the States. Alabama, Iowa (Executive Council, one of the two purchasing agencies, maintains a testing laboratory), Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. TABLE 11.-Types of Tests Made and Commodities Tested in the Laboratories of 13 States Where Purchasing Agencies Maintain Testing Laboratories Organic and inorganic, physical tests. Road oils, fuel oils, coal, cement, stone, etc., dairy and poultry feeds, milk, eggs, etc. Tests for moisture and ash content in coal, dirt in sand, size of gravel; chemical analysis of paint, etc. All kinds of tests. Chemical analysis and strength tests. 1 Executive Council, one of the two purchasing agencies in the State. Types of Testing Laboratories Used by the States. Among the 38 States with centralized purchasing, 17 States use college or university and private or commercial laboratories and 8 States use college or university testing laboratory. Table 12 shows the type of testing laboratory used and gives the names of the States. TABLE 12.-Types of testing laboratories used by the States 1 Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Alabama, Florida, and Rhode Island. California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Includes "local Highway Department and university laboratories" (Arizona); "State University, Health Department and State Roads Commission, and private testing laboratories" (Maryland); "State Chemical Laboratory" (South Dakota); "Highway, Health and Agriculture Department Laboratories" Tennessee); "State owned laboratories" (Texas); "Highway Testing, Agricultural and Extension Service Laboratories" (Vermont); "State Highway Department, University of Washington, and State College Laboratories" (Washington); "Commercial testing laboratories, Federal Government agencies, college or university laboratories, and highway testing laboratories" (Wisconsin); "Highway Dept., Agricultural Experiment Station, Health Dept., Dairy and Food, Dept. of Agriculture, and University of Conn., as well as commercial laboratories (Connecticut). 'North Dakota. Results of the Survey. An analysis of the returned questionnaire indicates that the following 38 States report a centralized purchasing agency. |