Materials Management Office (MMO) & Division Director

The Materials Management Office is headed by the Materials Management Officer, who also serves as the Chief Procurement Officer for Supplies and Services. The Materials Management Officer reports directly to the Director of the Division of Procurement Services. Because Procurement Services, the Office of State Engineer, Audit & Certification, and Business Operations & Strategic Planning all report to the Materials Management Officer; MMO is synonymous with the Division of Procurement Services. To find a complete listing of our staff, use the Contact Us link on the sidebar to this page.

Procurement Services provides the State's central procurement operation for all state agencies covered by the South Carolina Consolidated Procurement Code. It is divided into the following operational units:

Sourcing Team

This team is responsible for conducting and managing procurements through a strategic partnership with state agencies to meet their procurement needs leveraging the state's buying power for maximized savings. 

Statewide Contracts Team

This team is responsible for conducting and managing procurements for Statewide Contracts on any type of acquisition for supplies, services, and information technology other than construction.

Office of the State Engineer (OSE)

This office is headed by the State Engineer, who also serves as the Chief Procurement Officer for Construction. OSE is responsible for construction services and the related professional services. While OSE does not issue solicitations or post awards directly, it oversees and approves such actions, particularly when these actions are performed by agencies acting above their certification level. OSE also serves as the building official for state buildings.

Audit & Certification

This office is responsible for conducting periodic audits of each agency's procurement operation. These audits are designed to evaluate an agency's overall internal procurement operation and to determine whether it is consistent with the procurement code and regulations.

Business Operations and Strategic Planning

This office provides administrative support for the division including strategic planning. Among its responsibilities are human resources, all financial and accounting functions, budget forecasting, bid opening and control, administrative fee collection and control, auditing of statewide contracts, vendor registration, and general office support.  It serves as the project management arm of the division and liaison with other entities on projects and strategic matters. Additionally, the section is responsible for the delivery of training and certification requirements to division staff and all state procurement professionals as required by law and regulation. Finally, it publishes the South Carolina Business Opportunities newsletter (SCBO).

Procurement Services Functions

Procurement Services has a broad array of functions, which include the following:

• Establishing open-ended statewide contracts, thereby leveraging the collective needs of all state agencies and political subdivisions to gain lower prices through volume discounts.
• Providing agencies with professional, centralized purchasing services to acquire all manner of supplies, equipment, services, information technology, and construction.
• Publishing a periodical, South Carolina Business Opportunities (SCBO), that provides one-stop access to public notice of contracting opportunities for the business community.
• Providing for the protection of life and property by serving as the Building Code Official and Deputy State Fire Marshal for all state buildings and by performing professional reviews of construction plans and site inspections.
• Preparing and delivering procurement-related resources to all state agencies, including standard contracts and procurement forms, written guidance on best practices, and expertise for answering complex questions.
• Furnishing a timely, meaningful, and inexpensive process for resolving bid protests and contract disputes for state government.
• Providing training for agency procurement staff on best practices and procurement laws.
• Facilitating uniformity in application of procurement laws among diverse procurement disciplines and across state government.
• Ensuring transparency and integrity in the expenditure of public money by auditing and assessing internal agency procurement controls and processes.
• Staffing emergency disaster recovery procurements (hurricanes, terrorism, etc.) for the State's Emergency Management Division. In an emergency situation, Procurement Services is responsible for acquiring supplies, services, and facilities damage assessments.

Note: Procurement Services is a division of the South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority. The fact that statutes and regulations refer to other names reflects the reorganizations that have taken place over the years.    

Strategic Plan

Five-year

• Cultivate and maintain the most knowledgeable, capable, and customer-focused staff in the state.  
• Develop and maintain improved customer relations and experiences through all appropriate channels of communication. 
• Establish and maintain consistent, efficient, customer-focused practices in both policies and procedures; thereby making the Division a statewide and national leader.

Acquire

We provide efficient, innovative, and responsive services to acquire information technology, construction, goods and services through effective broad-based competition.

Administer

We provide guidance and oversight to promote integrity, ethical behavior, and increased public confidence in the acquisition process.

Advise

We provide training and advice to ensure compliance with law, policies, and practices.