Chief procurement officer; authority; duties.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 15-43
in effectSec. 15-43. - Chief procurement officer; authority; duties.
(a) There is hereby created the position of the chief procurement officer (CPO).
The CPO shall be appointed by the mayor. The CPO shall possess the qualifications and experience necessary to effectively provide leadership on procurement methods and globally accepted public procurement practices. In making procurement decisions, the CPO may delegate purchasing authority to certain departments for a defined period of time, provided that those departments comply with the procurement procedures promulgated by the CPO. The CPO shall develop requirements to be met by delegates prior to commencing any procurement or purchasing activity, including periodic reporting for submission to the CPO. The CPO may at any time withdraw approval for delegated authority if established procedures are not followed.
(b) Except as provided in this article, no department director or individual acting under the department director's authority shall order the procurement in excess of the threshold, of supplies, services, construction, or professional or consulting services other than through the office of or with the approval of the CPO. To the extent of any conflict with any other provision of this Code, this article takes precedence.
(c) The CPO shall:
(1) Lead day-to-day procurement activities across all city departments for direct and indirect sourcing.
(2) Accelerate the implementation of procurement best practices and organizational development efforts.
(3) Transform procurement operations into a strategic function that optimizes the city's strategic and operational objectives.
(4) Drive cross-functional procurement strategy, common process definition and deployment, and personnel and organizational development.
(5) Make procurement decisions and recommendations in accordance with globally accepted public procurement standards and promulgate procurement policies in conjunction with department directors.
(6) When appropriate, consult with user departments and legal counsel when making decisions regarding procurement.
(Ord. No. 2015-668, § 4(Exh. B), 7-8-2015)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH15CO_ARTIIICOPR_S15-43CHPROFAUDUFetched: 10/26/2026