As a customer-focused partner, VITA procurement aims to ensure agencies have the ability to navigate IT procurements, including procedures, rules and regulations. Our goal is for our customer agencies to gain essential knowledge and improve their skills through training.
Quarterly training for agencies is now available! Training topics offered include development of IT solicitations and contracts, IT contract terms, COV Ramp (formally ECOS) process for cloud procurements, risk management, statements of work, performance measures including service level agreements, project milestones and deliverables, negotiations and contract management.
If you are interested in virtual or in-person training for your agency on any of the topics above, please direct your request to scminfo@vita.virginia.gov.
IT Procurement Training - October 14-16
9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. daily
Location: 7325 Beaufont Springs Drive Richmond, Virginia 23225, VITA training room #108
Registration details - Closes October 9
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 Third Quarter (Q3) 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 October 8.
Agenda
Day 1: Tuesday, October 14
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
Break
Description: Specialists from VITA’s IT Investment Management and Project Management Divisions will provide an overview of the IT Investment Management Lifecycle, 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 ITIM/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 a successful and efficient high-risk review.
Speaker(s): Rachel Hoffman and Liz Candler
Break for the day
Day 2: Wednesday, October 15
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(s): Liz Candler
Description: Navigating the COVRamp process can be tricky. VITA’s COVRamp subject matter experts will walk through the step-by-step process for completing the COVRamp Assessment and Cloud Terms and Conditions review, negotiation, and approval process.
Speaker(s): Debi Smith and Susan Siegfried
Break
Description: Our SCM Sourcing experts will provide an in-depth review of the statewide contracts 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): VITA Sourcing Team
Break for the day
Day 3: Thursday, October 16
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(s): Rachel Hoffman
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 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 security compliance terms and conditions obligating the Supplier to safeguard Commonwealth data in accordance with VITA security policies, standards and guidelines. A VITA Cybersecurity and Risk Management 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.
VITA Security plays a pivotal role in oversight over the Commonwealth’s compliance with current web accessibility standards and guidelines, oversight and management of the Commonwealth’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, and tracking and strategizing to resolve the Commonwealth’s technical debt by deploying application lifecycle management. An expert from VITA’s Enterprise Architecture division will discuss how the team manages these important oversight tasks.
Speaker(s): Jonathan Smith and Stephen Smith
Break for the day
Watch video tutorials
Interested in our training, but need more information on what will be covered, or do you need a brief refresher on what we have covered in past trainings? Check out some of our recorded sessions below!
For a taste of the topics that will be covered at our upcoming training session, check out select recorded sessions from our June 2025 training. (NOTE: The videos below are not representative of all the topics covered during our 3-day quarterly training, just examples of what topics will be covered over the course of the training. Some of the material covered in these videos may be updated, changed, or removed during any subsequent training. These videos are posted for the convenience of our customers only – viewing these videos does not constitute or merit receipt of VIP credits towards any certifications. To receive the full benefits of our training program, please register for a spot at our upcoming training event using the instructions listed above).
What Makes a Procurement IT?
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.
VITA Statewide Contracts Overview
Our SCM Sourcing experts will provide an in-depth review of the will provide an in-depth review of the statewide contracts 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.
VITA Procurement Reviews
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 a successful and efficient high-risk review.
Performance Measures and Enforcement Provisions
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.
Contract Terms and Conditions
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.
Other Resources
Having problems with a supplier?
We encourage you to work with your supplier to resolve issues. If you need SCM's assistance, please send a summary to scminfo@vita.virginia.gov.