The City of Arlington’s Purchasing Division has received its ninth consecutive Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award for the year 2012.

Arlington is one of only 38 Texas governmental agencies and one of only 54 cities nationwide to receive the award. The city was notified of the award earlier this month.

“Earning this type of award is simply not possible without the concerted effort of our departmental staff, who strive to meet purchasing needs while remaining mindful of the citizens we serve,” said Debra Twinam, Purchasing manager.

The award recognizes organizational excellence in procurement. Public and non-profit organizations earn the award by obtaining a high application score based on standardized criteria. Arlington earned a score of 120. The judging criteria are designed to measure innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity and the leadership of the procurement function.

“Award criteria are designed to show systematic alignment with nationally-recognized best practices,” said Twinam. “I believe the consecutive awards are an indicator that Arlington is committed to a thoughtful, cutting-edge approach to buying services and supplies.”

The award is sponsored by the National Procurement Institute, the California Association of Public Procurement Officials, the Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials, the Institute for Supply Management, the Institute for Public Procurement, the National Association of Statement Procurement Officials, the National Association of Educational Procurement, and the Texas Public Purchasing Association.