Primary Department: County Administration
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Erica Lee Carter, County Administrator
Secondary Department: Purchasing
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Kimberly J. Williams, JD
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Transmittal
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: Choose an item.
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Transmittal by the Office of County Administration and the Office of the Purchasing Agent of a report describing the status of the Purchasing OPSS (Optimizing Procurement Speed and Service) Project.
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Background and Discussion:
On June 11, 2026, Commissioners Court approved the initiation of the Purchasing OPSS project, with the objective of delivering practical improvements to key purchasing and procurement processes that drive efficiency and measurable results.
This transmittal provides an update on the project's progress to date. Since its launch, the project has achieved several key milestones, including selecting and onboarding the consulting vendor, developing the project implementation roadmap, analyzing current-state process documentation, and initiating engagement with the project's Tactical Working Group.
Findings, outcomes, and recommendations from the initiative will be compiled into a report to be presented to Commissioners Court in the fall of 2026.
Expected Impact:
This initiative is expected to produce measurable reductions in procurement and contracting cycle times, improved consistency and transparency in processes, and more predictable service delivery across County departments.
Alternative Options:
Absent this initiative, current procurement timelines, process variability, and communication challenges are expected to continue without significant improvement.
County Strategic Plan Goal: Choose an item3. Make our economy more inclusive.
County Strategic Plan Objective: Choose an itemJ: Grow the number and size of MWBEs.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an itemJ3: Strengthen enabling support and processes for MWBE programming.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan: This initiative is also related to the FY26 Operational Imperative: Procure to Pay
Prior Court Action (if any):
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6/11/26 |
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The item was approved as presented, and Commissioners Court authorized the project to proceed. |
Location:
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Precinct(s): Choose an item.
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Review Completion Date |
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Anticipated Court Date: 8/6/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Kimberly J. Williams, Harris County Purchasing Agent; Rachel O’Connell, Sr. Project Manager, Office of County Administration
Attachments (if applicable): Project Status Report