Procurement documents and proposal evaluation

Procurement documents and proposal evaluation

From defining the employer's needs to choosing an applicable and acceptable proposal

The quality of a fountain project is formed from the time of preparation of purchase and handover documents. If the scope of work, performance specifications, responsibilities and acceptance criteria are clear, the bidders can offer their solution and price on a common basis.

Ambiguity at this stage may later lead to disputes about equipment capacity, display quality, construction operations, training or additional costs. For example, the phrase "full performance of the musical fountain" without specifying the scope of the structure, input power, purification, sound and show program creates different impressions.

Appropriate documentation should translate the expected outcome into a set of verifiable technical commitments.

This chapter is a technical model for preparing documents and comparing offers. The assignment method, qualifications, guarantees and contractual conditions must be adjusted to the rules of transactions and contracts of the employer before publication. Tables and numbers in this chapter are educational examples.

38–1. subject of purchase; Definition of an exploitable system

In the fountain project, the equipment must produce a specific result together. Therefore, the subject of purchase can include design, supply, installation, programming, testing, training and delivery of documents.

The employer must first define the main outputs:

• Type of fountain and method of use.

• Expected water quality and makeup.

• Lighting and display conditions.

• Operating hours and patterns.

• Water management requirements.

• Maintenance facilities and operating force.

• Consumption and infrastructure restrictions.

• Delivery and acceptance criteria.

For example, the purchase of a number of nozzles and pumps becomes a deliverable project when the responsibility for calculating the circuit, selecting the operating point, controlling, installing and proving the performance is also clear.

In the services introduced by OASE, preparation of equipment specifications, technical details and handover document support are part of the project process. Services for developing specifications and document support in OASE ^[262]

38–2. Preparation of birth certificate required by the employer

Before compiling the detailed specifications, a brief ID for the project is prepared.

The information must be consistent with the actual situation of the place. Power capacity or discharge location that has not yet been confirmed should be marked with a status of "needs review".

In the reconstruction project, the existing documents and their validity are also recorded. The proposer should know which information has been extracted and which sections require additional review.

38–3. Choosing the assignment structure and designating the person in charge

The assignment structure affects the way documents are arranged.

In all structures, the person responsible for the coordination of the entire system must be identified. If the pump, panel and nozzle are supplied from different sources, it is necessary to know who will check their compatibility and prove the performance of the set.

Also, checking or verifying a document should have a clear scope. Visual inspection of the plan, evaluation of calculations and acceptance of equipment are not the same activities.

38–4. Definition of work boundaries and boundaries of responsibilities

For each part, design, supply, installation, testing and delivery must be assigned.

Suggested phrase example

"The limit of the employer's electricity supply is up to the point specified in the connections map. The design and implementation of the route after this point, along with the related distribution and protection equipment, is in the scope of the contractor according to the table of responsibilities.

In the final version, the point of delivery and the electrical conditions must be precisely specified.

The phrase "all necessary tasks" can complement the service description, but should not take the place of a clear list of responsibilities.

Place Figure 38–1 — Responsibilities boundary map

Suggested form: simple project map showing water, electricity and drainage delivery points and the work boundary of the structure, the area and the fountain operator.

Subtitle: "Technical boundaries must be defined in the same map, service description and price table."

38–5. Converting requirements into measurable specifications

Specifications should clarify three issues:

1. What result is required? 2. Under what conditions is it checked? 3. What degree or test is used to accept it?

For the height of the fountain, the water level and the state of the active circuits must be known. For energy consumption, show schedule and working hours should be defined.

Performance specifications and manufacturing specifications can complement each other. Items affecting safety, compatibility, durability and repairability must be determined in sufficient detail; In other sectors, it is possible to maintain the possibility of providing a different solution.

38–6. Table of technical information of equipment and review of equivalents

The bidder must provide a detailed model and assessable technical information for each major equipment.

The phrase "or similar" without criteria does not allow for a clear comparison. The proposed equivalent should be checked for performance, environmental conditions, connection, control, maintenance and documentation.

If the use of a specific model is necessary to be compatible with the existing system, the technical reason must be recorded and the method of its insertion must be coordinated with the employer's purchasing rules.

Crystal Fountains presents mechanical and electrical documentation, installation details and technical specifications in its engineering packages; These types of documents are important to evaluate an equipment proposal. Crystal Fountains engineering and technical support packages ^[263]

38–7. Setting the list of quantities and the price table

The price table should be aligned with the technical scope and specify what each amount covers.

Common headings include:

• Design and preparation of documents.

• Water equipment and display.

• Piping and accessories.

• Electricity and lighting.

• Control and programming.

• Water treatment and management.

• Installation and related operations.

• Testing and commissioning.

• Training and delivery documents.

• Primary spare parts.

• Specific period service after delivery.

It is possible to offer the price of a complete package, provided that the components and limits of the same package are clear.

For cable, pipe and items dependent on actual quantity, the basis of measurement and pricing must be specified. For services, the number, content and expected output should be defined.

Example of important ambiguity

Two offers may both have a "control system", but one includes the demo program, software license and training, and the other covers only the hardware. This difference should be clarified before comparing prices.

Optional items should also be separated from the basic scope and the method of their effect on the evaluation should be determined in advance.

38–8. Compliance table and registration of deviations

The compliance table makes it possible to track the relationship between the employer's requirement and the offeror's response.

The answer "conforms" should be attached to verifiable evidence in important cases.

The offeror must provide assumptions, exceptions and exclusions in the specified section. An exception being hidden in the long text of the catalog makes evaluation difficult.

The employer must also record the status of each deviation: acceptable, in need of explanation, or inconsistent with the essential requirement; According to the approved evaluation method.

Place Figure 38–2 — Follow-up path of a requirement

Suggested format: Linking a requirement from "Requirement Description" to "Proposal Response", "Design Document", "Test" and "Acceptance Minutes".

Subtitle: "Each important requirement must be traceable to the stage of proof of performance."

38–9. Evaluation of executive ability and related records

The ability to implement the project should be checked with appropriate evidence.

The important topics are:

• Experience of projects with similar complexity.

• The real role of the company in the provided records.

• Key team members and their responsibilities.

• Required manufacturing, assembly and testing facilities.

• The method of providing equipment and parts.

• Programming and commissioning capacity.

• Service resources after delivery.

The similarity of the project is not only related to the dimensions or the amount. The type of control, the contact of users with water, the complexity of the implementation and the conditions of the site are also important.

In reviewing the records, it should be clear whether the company was the designer, manufacturer, supplier, installer or responsible for the entire project.

Photos and videos are useful to show the result, but it is better to accompany the project information, scope of responsibility and evidence of delivery or operation.

In the evaluation, a feature should not be scored repeatedly in several sections without reason. For example, the history of the company and the quality of the proposed technical solution should be separated.

38–10. Separation of essential requirements from points criteria

First, the essential requirements are checked; Such as providing basic functionality, necessary documents and defined safety conditions. Qualified bids are then compared against the scoring criteria.

The deficiency of an essential requirement should not be compensated by a higher score in beauty, delivery time or price.

Score criteria should have weight and clear description. For example:

For each criterion, it should be clear what evidence receives what score. The phrase "very good" without a verifiable description raises the possibility of disagreement.

The World Bank's guide also emphasizes on the declaration of criteria and weights in the documents and quality assessment along with the cost. This reference is a methodological model and its provisions are not automatically applied to the purchases of Iranian municipalities. Guide to World Bank scoring criteria ^[264]

38–11. Sample calculation of combined score

The following example is purely educational. The use of such a method depends on its permissibility in the framework of the employer's purchase and the prior announcement of the formula, weights and conditions of acceptance.

Assume that three proposals have achieved all the necessary requirements and a minimum technical score of 70.

Financial score:

$F_i=100\times \frac{C_{\min }}{C_i}$

In this regard, $C_i$ is the evaluated amount of the offer and $C_{\min }$ is the lowest evaluated amount among the qualified offers.

With a technical weight of 60% and financial 40%:

$S_i=0.60T_i+0.40F_i$

In this example, proposal A gets the highest combined score.

The small difference between the first two ranks shows the importance of documenting the technical scores and accuracy of the calculations. Weights and criteria must be determined before receiving proposals; Changing them to achieve a desired result destroys the validity of the comparison.

Also, the low price of a non-matching offer does not make it into this table.

38–12. Co-basing costs and life cycle review

Amounts should be of comparable range. Things like tax, shipping, installation, testing, software license, training and basic items should be checked according to the predetermined method.

A significant shortfall in the bid scope should not be assumed to be automatically resolved by adding a speculative amount. The way of dealing with deficit, ambiguity and non-compliance should be according to the approved method.

If using life cycle costing, these are predefined:

• Time horizon.

• Operating hours and schedule.

• The limit of energy and water consumption.

• Basis of prices and discount rate.

• Service and replacement cost.

• Residual value, if applicable.

• The method of checking consumption claims.

The ISO 15686-5 standard deals with life cycle cost analysis of buildings and constructed assets and their components. The scope of this standard can be a reference for the analysis structure; Calculation inputs must be specified for the fountain project. Introduction of ISO 15686-5 ^[265]

Place Figure 38–3 — Comparable cost components

Suggested figure: The initial, energy, maintenance and replacement cost breakdown diagram for two hypothetical proposals with the same scope.

Subtitle: "The cost comparison is valid when the service scope and calculation assumptions are the same."

38–13. Management of questions, explanations and document changes

Technical questions must have a clear and recordable path.

If the answer to a question changes the project information or requirement, the effect should be reflected in the relevant documentation. To avoid different versions, the revision number and date of each document are specified.

The explanation of a proposal should also be separated from its fundamental change. The permissible limits of explanation, modification and negotiation are subject to the purchasing method of the employer.

Items that usually require technical questions are:

• Difference between map and table of values.

• Lack of infrastructure information.

• Ambiguity in the responsibility of purification or sound.

• Uncertainty of test conditions.

• Difference in the number of show programs.

• Uncertainty of delivery of files and permissions.

• Limited access or downtime.

After choosing the proposal, changing the equipment or the implementation method should also be recorded by checking the effect on performance, time, cost and documents.

38–14. Implementation plan, delivery steps and support commitments

The proposed program should show the interdependence of activities: design, documentation, construction, supply, installation, testing and training.

The promise of fast delivery must be compatible with the delivery time and actual location conditions.

Checkable technical steps can include:

1. Acceptance of relevant design documents. 2. Verification of equipment and ready-to-install sets. 3. Completing installation and preliminary tests. 4. Acceptance of the performance test. 5. Delivery of documents and training. 6. Assignment of the remaining items.

The connection of these steps with payment and other contractual works should be clarified in the relevant documents; There is not the same percentage or structure for all projects.

In post-delivery service, these issues should be determined:

• Scope of warranty and its conditions.

• Responsible for contact and coverage hours.

• Initial response time and attendance requirements.

• The method of supplying parts.

• Services included and outside the contract.

• Software support and necessary accesses.

• How to register and close the failure request.

"Full support" without these details does not create a measurable commitment.

38–15. Acceptance criteria and delivery documents

Acceptance criteria should be specified when preparing purchase documents. Postponing them to the end of the execution creates the basis for a dispute about the result.

For each section, the proof method is determined:

Delivery documents should include construction drawings, equipment list, configuration, test report, instructions and prescribed items.

About program files, editable version, software license, display content usage rights and backup access should be clearly decided from the beginning. It is necessary for the operator to know what resources he will have access to for the continuation of work and future changes.

In the introduction of GSO services, design, equipment supply, training and support are mentioned together. In the documents of each project, the deliverable output of these services must be defined separately. GSO urban fountain services ^[266]

Figure 38–4 — Sample delivery file

Suggested image: project documents folder, equipment list and test report sample page, along with user training image.

Caption: "Delivery items should be specified prior to purchase so that there is a plan for their preparation and receipt."

38–16. Short service description template and final document review

The following text is an example for the beginning of the service description and must be completed with the project information before use:

"The subject of the work is to carry out the design, supply, installation, programming, testing and commissioning of the project's fountain system... within the limits set in the maps and the table of responsibilities.

The system must provide the functions listed in the table of requirements under specified test conditions. The proposer is obliged to provide the technical solution, equipment specifications, assumptions, deviations, implementation plan and performance proof documents.

The scope of work includes coordination of the supplied components within the scope of the contract and review of established interfaces with other parts of the project. Document review, quality control and acceptance procedures are carried out according to the relevant attachments.

Delivery includes installed equipment, test results, as-built drawings, agreed settings and files, operation and maintenance instructions, training and spare items listed in the documents. The scope of support and post-handover responsibilities are specified in the service attachment.

Before publication, the final revision should answer these questions:

• Is the need of the project and type of use clear?

• Do the map, specification and price table match?

• Are the boundaries of responsibilities and delivery points clear?

• Are the essential criteria separated from the score criteria?

• Are the weights, scoring method and cost basis announced?

• Can the proposer clearly record his deviations and assumptions?

• Are the test methods and admission documents known?

• Are operations, training, and support assigned within the scope of work?

The final version of the documents must have a list of documents, a revision number and a specific response reference. This version is the basis for receiving, reviewing and comparing offers.