Observation of the pecking order and stigma of Bid Committees.
Nkululeko Bilal Ntaka
Supply Chain Ace-Preneur| Business Admin (UWC)|PGDip Business Admin (WBS). Analyze, Sustainability Strategist, Inventory,Logistics & Procurement Operations, Infrastructure Programmes, Project, Cost & Contract Management
Bid Committees are a chain, interlinked, interdependent not a hierarchy
The article will draw on the practical experience of the daily unfolding of the practitioners, reference local cases, and stereotype accepted practices by many other public sectors. This will all be done in the context of the legislative frameworks within which PFMA, MFMA, and FMPLA entities operate.
1. The Bid Specification Committee (BSC): is?responsible for the compilation and drafting of specifications for the procurement of goods and services by the municipality or municipal entity. (Rules setting or rules of the game). The specifications committee must also consider whether all the required quality assurance standards have been met with regard to the type of goods that is requested.
Practitioners, Executives and politicians that functionality criteria threshold that was set too high by BSC and you decide to drop its standards because nobody can achieve them, as we don't have time to re-advertise, gazette is the very reason you are going to hell. On a give and take, I think BSC is the most important/critical committee that must be properly composed and capacitated. My observation has been that bid committees are treated as a hierarchy whereby BSC is seen as a junior insignificant committee that not much attention is given to it, including its composition. It must be noted that those "maintenance spare parts" that you buy through deviations are because BSC did not specify maintenance requirements on their rules, that functionality criteria that you can't evaluate and end up changing it, is because BSC was not detailed enough in their rules, those contract variations that need approval before a contract commence are because BSC compiled incomplete specifications.
That compliance certificate that BSC said nothing about, you see it for the first time from most bidders and decide to disqualify those who don't have it because you want the best suppliers, is the reason we are going to be litigated because it is unfair. That quality feature that BSC forgot to include, you know very well without it the project will be compromised, you decide to introduce it at evaluation and disqualify bidders, well we know your intentions are good and want us the get the best service, but you still going to hell. Nothing ends wrong, things start wrong for them to end wrong, and this is where they go wrong. The corruption masters do not capture BEC or BAC, they capture the BSC.
2. The Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC): is?responsible for the evaluation of bids submitted in response to a public invitation for bids. (Researchers of a good player, deserving to execute on the tasks). The committee must, as far as possible, consist of officials from the departments requiring the goods or services and at least one SCM practitioner. Then there's BEC, the typical middle child that just creates problems with their good intentions. This approach, is the root of our problems in the tender process.?
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The BEC is the problem of the bunch because they are usually the reason we are litigated, however, their problems are caused by BSC. So BEC, start normalizing engagements with the BSC, tell them how they make life difficult for you. Ideally, BSC members must develop specification with the mind of the BEC members
3. The Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC): must consider the report and recommendations of the BEC. Depending on the system of delegations in place, the BAC must either make a final award or it must make a recommendation to the regional/municipal manager to make the final award. (Quality assurers to the process). They recommend contract extensions, amendment of contracts, cancellation or transfers of contracts awarded.
The BAC usually being composed by Executives is treated like a senior committee and sometimes behaves like one. BAC you are not the senior committee of other kids, we were all appointed by the Accounting Officer and we apologies for calling you rubber stampers. We know the work you do is very important, you are the last line of defense placed to ensure that Sec 217 of the Constitution is complied with. #Teamwork #Bidcommittees #PublicProcurement #SupplyChainManagement #Contracts