The organization issuing the RFP, or, where an internal procurement agency is used (as in most government contracting), the end user of the Work. See also “customer.”
Separating “Doing” and “Supervising” for Best Results
Do or supervise: There is no both.
Yoda
OK, as far as I know, Yoda didn’t ever say that, but I wish he had! Maybe then people would listen. Continue reading“Separating “Doing” and “Supervising” for Best Results”
Term: Best Value
An evaluation methodology that purports to assign technical and financial scores independently of each other, and then to calculate some version of “price per point” to identify the bidder submitting the best-value proposal. In government contracting, often seems to devolve to low-price compliant. Difficult to bid, as the incremental point value of extra capability (and its associated cost) is often unclear or muted by the averaging effect inherent in group evaluations.
What Contractors Want from Technical Authorities – Part 6
Foster your procurement agency relationships. In Canada, both federally and provincially/territorially, that usually means connecting with centralized agency contracting officers and it may also involve working with departmental or ministry contracting experts. Just as you know the technical domain, these folks know the contracting domain, which is largely about process. Working together, you’ll get the best outcome possible:
- A technically sound solution
- A good price
- A procurement that complies with government policies and regulations
- An ongoing, productive, mutually beneficial relationship with industry
Tasked as Technical Authority on an RFP? Never done it before? Done it before but not entirely happy with how it turned out? This is one of six posts on what contractors hope you do in that position, but are reluctant to tell you to your face.
What Contractors Want from Technical Authorities – Part 5
Foster affordable competition. For services contracting, consider using a simpler model, more akin to construction tenders or to the Request for Quote (or Price and Availability) used for off-the-shelf commercial products than to the approach usually required for system procurement. If you want to specify the services solution in detail (and can accept the performance risk inherent in doing that), then just ask for staffing plans and pricing, rather than for a full-blown proposal. The lower cost to industry of responding to a scaled-back RFP should increase participation and focus bidder attention squarely where you want it: on the cost.
Tasked as Technical Authority on an RFP? Never done it before? Done it before but not entirely happy with how it turned out? This is one of six posts on what contractors hope you do in that position, but are reluctant to tell you to your face.