PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE TRAINING

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PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE TRAINING
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DEFINITIONS

• RFP (Request for Proposals) - Used to solicit
  proposals for requirements that may not be fully
  defined, when price is not the major determinant
  and negotiations are contemplated.
• Proposal A specific response to an RFP. Also,
  commonly referred to as an offer.
• Proposer The individual, firm or business that
  submitted the proposal.
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DEFINITIONS

• Procurement Committee A committee formed to
  evaluate proposals received in response to a RFP.
  
• Evaluation Criteria The criteria jointly
  developed by the customer and Purchasing defining
  the specific areas and weights used to evaluate
  the proposals received in response to a specific
  RFP.
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LOBBYING RESTRICTIONSCONFLICT-OF-INTEREST

• LOBBYING BLACK OUT PERIOD- Proposers are
  prohibited from any contact with Procurement
  Committee members, Commissioners, or any County
  staff from the time of issuance of the Request
  for Proposals (also applies to Invitation for
  Bids) until contract award.
• FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH BLACKOUT
  RESTRICTIONS
• Proposers Sanctions include ineligibility for
  contract award, contract termination, suspension
  and/or debarment.
• County Employees Appropriate discipline under
  Personnel Policy Manual. 3

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CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST

• County Employees must avoid both the appearance
  of and any actual conflict-of-interest.
• Therefore, it is imperative that any proposed or
  actual member of the Procurement Committee excuse
  themselves from any involvement with a
  procurement for which they may have a
  conflict-of-interest, either financially or
  personally.
• An outside personal or business/economic
  relationship, which affords present or future
  financial benefits to an employee, an employees
  family, or to individuals with whom the employee
  has business or financial ties, may be considered
  a conflict-of-interest.
• --Personnel Policy Manual
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MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES

• EVALUATE AND SCORE EACH PROPOSAL SEPARATELY USING
  ONLY THE CRITERIA CONTAINED IN THE RFP.
• It is a violation of the Sunshine Law for members
  to meet to discuss the procurement or otherwise
  communicate in the evaluation of proposals prior
  to the meeting of the Procurement Committee
• APPLY THE APPLICABLE SCORES IN ACCORDANCE WITH
  THE SCORING GUIDELINES PROVIDED BY PURCHASING
• CONTACT THE PURCHASING REPRESENTATIVE FOR
  GUIDANCE WHEN YOU REQUIRE CLARIFICATION OR HAVE
  QUESTIONS 5

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MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES

• CONTACT THE PURCHASING REPRESENTATIVE IF ANY
  REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION IS MISSING FROM THE
  PROPOSAL.
• COMPLETELY EVALUATE EACH PROPOSAL AND BRING ALL
  PROPOSALS, COPY OF THE RFP AND COMPLETED SCORING
  SHEET TO THE PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE MEETING.
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PROCEEDINGS AT PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE

• MEETINGS ARE PUBLIC AND ARE RECORDED.
• MEMBERS AND OTHERS PRESENT ARE INTRODUCED
  INDICATING WHETHER THEY ARE VOTING OR NON-VOTING
  MEMBERS. CHAIRMAN IS NON-VOTING.
• THE COMMISSIONER SCHEDULED FOR THE MONTH MAY OR
  MAY NOT ATTEND THE MEETING.
• SYNOPSIS OF PROJECT PROVIDED BY USING DIVISION
  REPRESENTATIVE.
• CHAIRMAN BRIEFS COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURES TO BE
  FOLLOWED STRESSING THE NEED FOR
  CONSENSUS. 7

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EVALUATION PROCESS

• EACH PROPOSAL IS EVALUATED SEPARATELY.
• USER REPRESENTATIVE PROVIDES HIS/HER SCORE FOR A
  PARTICULAR CRITERIA AND IT IS DISCUSSED AMONG ALL
  MEMBERS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF REACHING CONSENSUS.
• MEMBERS MUST PARTICIPATE AND WILL BE CALLED UPON
  TO PROVIDE INPUT.
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EVALUATION PROCESSContinued

• MEMBERS MUST BE PREPARED TO BE FLEXIBLE AS
  INFORMATION IS SHARED AMONG THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
  ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSALS.
• IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR SCORES TO CHANGE UPON
  PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM
  REFERENCES BY THE USING DIVISION REP. REFERENCES
  MAY PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT MAY NOT SUPPORT THE
  ACCEPTABILITY OF A SPECIFIC PROJECT OR NEGATIVELY
  IMPACT PERFORMANCE HISTORY.
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FINAL SCORES/AGENDA ITEM

• UPON COMPLETION OF THE EVALUATIONS, THE
  PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE SELECTS THOSE PROPOSALS
  SCORING THE HIGHEST FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION.
  PROPOSALS SCORING LESS THAN 300 POINTS ARE
  GENERALLY NOT CONSIDERED QUALIFIED FOR FURTHER
  CONSIDERATION.
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FINAL SCORES/AGENDA ITEM

• AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROCEEDINGS, SCORE
  SHEETS ARE SIGNED, DATED AND GIVEN TO THE
  PURCHASING REP.
• IF MEMBER IS IN AGREEMENT WITH A CONSENSUS SCORE,
  HIS/HER SCORE SHEET MUST REFLECT THAT SCORE.
• IF MEMBER DID NOT SUPPORT A CONSENSUS SCORE,
  THEIR SCORE FOR THAT PARTICULAR CATEGORY MUST
  REFLECT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCORE(S).
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PROTESTS

• MEMBERS SHOULD RETAIN PROPOSALS AND OTHER
  DOCUMENTS UNTIL THE OFFICIAL POSTING PERIOD
  EXPIRES FOR PROTESTS.
• A PROTEST MUST BE FILED NOT LATE THAN 5 PM ON THE
  FIFTH FULL BUSINESS DAY AFTER THE ITEM IS POSTED.
• PROTESTS ARE HEARD AND RESOLVED BY THE SAME
  PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE THAT EVALUATED THE
  PROPOSALS.
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PROTESTS TO THE BOARD

• If a proposer disagrees with resolution of the
  protest by the Procurement Committee, he/she may
  write a letter of objection to the Board of
  County Commissioners that must cite (1) laws,
  statutes, ordinances or other legal authorities
  applicable and, (2) specify the relief requested
  of the Board
• The filing of a letter of objection lifts the
  blackout period and allows firms to lobby the
  Board.
• The Board may take whatever action it deems
  appropriate in resolving the protest, which may
  include
• Taking no action.
• Discussion at BCC meeting with no change in
  ranking or recommendation.
• Revision of ranking or change of selection.
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BOARD ACTION

• IF THE COMMISSIONER OF RECORD DID NOT ATTEND THE
  MEETING, WE WILL OFFER HIM/HER A BRIEFING ON THE
  COMMITTEES EVALUATIONS.
• AT THE BOARD MEETING THE COMMISSIONER ASSIGNED TO
  THE PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE WILL GENERALLY MAKE A
  MOTION TO RANK THE PROPOSALS AS REQUESTED BY THE
  AGENDA ITEM.
• THE AGENDA ITEM GENERALLY REQUESTS THAT THE BOARD
  SELECT ONE FIRM AND TWO ALTERNATES TO PROVIDE THE
  SERVICE UNDER A CCNA SELECTION. NON-CCNA
  REQUIREMENTS ARE TREATED IN A SIMILAR MANNER.
  HOWEVER, ON CERTAIN SPECIALIZED PROCUREMENTS SUCH
  AS THOSE FOR HEALTHCARE, A RECOMMENDATION IS
  MADE.
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BOARD ACTIONContinued

• BOARD RANKING GIVES USER DIVISION AND PURCHASING
  AUTHORIZATION TO COMMENCE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE
  TOP RANKED FIRM WITHIN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT
  SPECIFIED IN THE AGENDA ITEM. BOARD SELECTION
  AUTHORIZES NEGOTIATION WITH THE SELECTED FIRM.
• NEGOTIATIONS GENERALLY RESULT IN AN AWARD TO THE
  TOP RANKED FIRM.
• HOWEVER, IF NEGOTIATIONS CANNOT BE SUCCESSFULLY
  ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE TOP RANKED FIRM, THE USER
  MUST NOTIFY PURCHASING FOR ASSISTANCE.
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