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ESCWA uses competitive bidding procedure
to meet its requirements, and typically awards the contracts through three types
of solicitation documents:
-
Invitation to
Bid: typically issued for high value contracts that require
formal competitive bidding procedures.
-
Request for
Proposal: generally issued for high value service contracts
that require services to be customized to fit unique
circumstances.
-
Request for
Quotation: normally used for low value
procurement requirements. RFQs are considered as informal
solicitation documents.
Solicitation
documents are used to request bids, proposals or quotations
(offers), from supplier for the goods, works or services
required. Therefore, the preparation and development of
solicitation documents is considered as one of the most important
and susceptible phases of the contracting process in which to ensure
fairness, integrity, and transparency.
Solicitation documents will include as appropriate:
-
an invitation
to offer
-
instruction to the offerors /
suppliers
-
form of the
offer requested ( bid, proposal or quotation),
-
form of the
proposed contract,
-
conditions of
contract, both general and special,
-
technical
specification,
-
lists of goods
or bills of quantities and drawing,
-
description of
work, as well as
-
necessary
appendices
-
evaluation
criteria and
-
minimum
qualification requirement.
Solicitation
documents will specify internationally accepted standard, such
as those issued by ISO, wherever these are available and
appropriate. When particular national or other standards are
required, the solicitation documents will indicate that other
standards may be acceptable.
A. Invitation to
bid
Invitations to
bid are typically issued for high value contracts that require
formal competitive bidding procedures. Invitations to bid may
be open or limited. Open international competitive bids are
advertised and invitations to bid are issued to registered
suppliers and suppliers that have expressed interest in the
contract. Limited international competitive bids typically are
not advertised and these invitations to bid are issued only to
registered suppliers that have been placed on a short list of
suppliers. Invited suppliers receive the same solicitation documents and an award is made to the lowest priced,
technically acceptable bidder or best value.
Suppliers/vendors are requested to submit their offers by the
specified date and time to the address or fax number stated in
the solicitation documents. Every solicitation document will
detail ESCWA's needs and will require the supplier to provide the
following details for goods:
• Specification
• Unit and total price, including packing and handling where
applicable
• Delivery date and the place of loading
• Transport cost, if requested
• Estimated date (time) of departure and arrival, if
applicable
• Item's validity.
B. Request
for Proposal (RFP)
RFPs are generally issued for high value service contract that
require services to be customized to fit unique circumstances.
Specifications can be so complex that evaluations of proposals
could take significantly longer than evaluation of bids and
criteria, other than price are likely to be the determining
factors.
Such criteria may include:
-
Delivery time
-
Availability and
quality of on – site support
-
Clarity of
technical manuals
-
Ability to
understand local languages and culture
-
Troubleshooters
as may be required
Contracts are
typically awarded to the offer that presents the best value in
accordance with the evaluation criteria.
RFP are typically sent by post to the short – listed
Suppliers.
On overage, a supplier is given three weeks to make an offer,
but as with goods, this time may be considerably shortened if
necessary. As with the Invitation to Bid, offers in response
to a RFP that are received late or improperly addressed will
not be considered.
ESCWA may request free, non-returnable samples for evaluation
and testing prior to any award. Samples will be subject to
technical review and laboratory analysis. Supplier
may also be requested to provide copies of internal quality control
test result or certificates of analysis conducted at
independent laboratories, certificates of approval by the
respective government, health and local authority for the
manufacture and / or sale of the product.
Evaluation criteria are normally defined in the RFP and will be
weighted in favor of those elements that ESCWA considers
most critical. While some requirements of the Statement of
Work (SOW) may be interpreted, those that are identified as
mandatory must be met for a proposal to be considered
responsive. Time is of the essence for services as well as
goods.
C. Request
for Quotation
RFQs are informal
solicitation documents that are normally used for low value
procurement requirement. These documents request price and
commercial terms for goods, works or services that meet
standard specifications and are readily available on the
market.
RFQs are typically requested from local suppliers, although ESCWA
may accept international quotations as well. |
