Training Program: June 2025
Join VITA's procurement divisions for a holistic three-day training covering the required VITA processes, procedures and best practices for conducting an IT procurement, including tips from our presenters on how to successfully navigate the various reviews and approvals required for your IT investments.
When:
June 10 - 12
9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. daily
Where:
7325 Beaufont Springs Drive Richmond, Virginia 23225
VITA training room #108
Registration details - Closes June 3
Registration is through the Virginia Institute of Procurement, Learning Management System (LMS). If you do not have an account, you will need to create one before registering by selecting Log in in the upper-right hand corner and choosing Sign up. Please follow the instructions for registering after creating an account:
Registration is through the Department of General Services (DGS), Virginia Institute of Procurement, learning management system (LMS). Please follow the instructions for registration below:
- Log in to your account to the LMS portal, located here: Public Dashboard | Virginia Institute of Procurement.
- If you do not have an account, you will need to create one before registering for training by selecting Log in in the upper-right hand corner and choosing Sign up.
- Once logged in, select the Catalog tile
- Select the VITA Courses tile. This will direct you to the VITA 2025 Second Quarter (Q2) IT Procurement Training Courses landing page
- Select Enroll
- Select Start. This will take you to the landing page for Day 1, 2 and 3 of training
- Select either the in-person or virtual session option for each day of training. Note: please only select ONE option -- either in-person or virtual -- for each training day you wish to attend)
- Complete registration for each day you wish to attend the training. Note: Once you make your selection of an in-person or virtual session, it can only be changed by contacting DGS - VIP by June 2.
Day 1: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Speaker(s): Rachel Hoffman and Liz Candler
Description: This section will cover VITA’s purpose and scope, as well as VITA’s delegated procurement authority, including public bodies’ delegated procurement thresholds and authorized methods of procurement. It will also provide an overview of the VITA divisions responsible for reviewing and approving IT procurements.
Speaker(s): Rachel Hoffman and Liz Candler
Description: This section will cover the distinctions between general and IT procurement, including general IT procurement categories and examples, and how to begin the VITA IT procurement oversight process.
Speaker(s): Rachel Hoffman and Liz Candler
Section followed by a 10-minute break
Description: Specialists from VITA’s IT investment management division (ITIMD) and project management division (PMD) will provide an overview of the IT investment management life cycle, how ITIM is applied to VITA’s oversight and management of IT investments and how to conduct the preliminary steps of IT procurement and project governance.
Speaker(s): VITA ITIMD and PMD
Description: In this section, we will provide an overview of VITA’s major IT project and high-risk review processes, including the required reviews and approvals and what to expect from the review processes. We will also provide tips and guidance for completing that a successful and efficient high-risk review.
Speaker(s): Rachel Hoffman and Liz Candler
Day 2: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Speaker(s): Rachel Hoffman and Liz Candler
Description: In this section, we will provide detailed guidance and examples for creating clear and distinct performance measures and enforcement provisions, including remedies, for IT contracts. We will also provide guidance on how to create a service level agreement (SLA), what to include in your SLA and how to enforce the SLA to mitigate risk for your IT investment.
Speaker: Liz Candler
Description: Our SCM sourcing experts will provide an in-depth review of the sourcing process available to customers, including how to utilize our IT contingent labor (ITCL) contract with Computer Aid, Inc. This section will also provide a high-level overview of category management and the overall strategy for managing VITA’s statewide contracts and leveraging the Commonwealth’s buying power.
Speaker(s): Greg Scearce and Jimmy Mackenzie
Description: Navigating the COV Ramp process can be tricky. VITA’s COV Ramp subject matter experts will walk through the step-by-step process for completing the COV Ramp assessment and cloud terms and conditions review, negotiation and approval process.
Speaker(s): Debi Smith and Sonja Headley
Day 3: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Speaker(s): Rachel Hoffman and Liz Candler
Description: This section will cover the technology sourcing process, including the creation of requirements, a detailed walk-through of the VITA RFP template and an overview of the IT evaluation model. We will also share tips on how to ensure your evaluation process is successful.
Speaker: Rachel Hoffman
Section followed by a 10-minute break.
Description: Since IT procurements differ from general procurements, they also require contract terms that are created specifically for IT products and services. This section will provide an overview of VITA’s IT contract templates and a breakdown of key IT terms and conditions contained in the templates.
Speaker(s): Rachel Hoffman and Liz Candler
Description: An IT contract requires specific insurance and security compliance terms obligating the supplier to safeguard Commonwealth data in accordance with VITA security policies, standards and guidelines. A VITA cybersecurity and risk management (CSRM) expert will provide an overview of how CSRM participates in the procurement oversight process, and the required terms for cyber liability insurance and security compliance.
Speaker: Jonathan Smith