Client’s contracting representative after contract award, and the only person authorized to amend the contract for the client. For greater clarity, what that means is that the technical authority cannot amend the contract on their own, so comments they make directly to the contractor are requests, not directions.
Term: Amendment
An amendment is a formal change to one of two documents:
- The RFP articles (e.g. draft contract, response instructions, statement of work) during the response period. See “addendum.” At the sole discretion of the client, but sometimes provoked by bidder questions and suggestions.
- The contract for the Work, after its award (e.g. to broaden/narrow the scope of work, to extend the contract term). Must be negotiated with the contractor.
Term: Technical authority
After contract award, the client’s senior technical representative. Understands the Work, assesses contractor performance, and negotiates changes to the Work. Contrary to what is often his own view, cannot authorize changes to the contract: these require the contract authority.
Term: Submission mandatory
Submission mandatories are documents that must be present, or conditions that must be met, for the proposal to proceed to the technical evaluation stage. Continue reading“Term: Submission mandatory”
The Third-most Important Thing in RFP Responses
Conforming to the technical requirement and responding well to the questions is the third-most important thing in RFP responses.
“What!?!” you (or some sales executive) cry. “Low price is more important than the technical solution or the proposal!” Continue reading“The Third-most Important Thing in RFP Responses”