Section Two The procurement cycle

2.1 The six stages

There are six stages in a procurement process and these are:

i) identify the requirement;

ii) source the market;

iii) seek tenders;

iv) evaluation of tenders;

v) contract award;

vi) managing and evaluation of delivery.


2.1 Identifying the requirement

In some respects the first stage is the most critical. Once a
requirement has been identified, the specification is the most important
document in any procurement process. A specification defines the
requirement in terms of performance, that is, what we want done
(outcome ) rather than how it will be done (output). Incomplete or
unclear specifications will inevitably lead to an unsatisfactory outcome,
and can cost the school a great deal of money in unanticipated costs
and charges.

All specifications should clearly define the schools requirements in
respect of:

performance
quality
quantity
timescales

We should always keep an open mind as to how those requirements
will be met by potential suppliers, as new or innovative solutions could
lead to better value for money.
Care should be taken when writing a specification that it is not drafted
to favour or discriminate against a particular supplier, solution or
delivery method.

































At the same time as drafting the specification, the criteria for evaluation
must be prepared so that an objective and transparent judgement can
be made when the tenders come back.

2.2 Market intelligence

This stage is about firstly identifying whether there is a market there to
provide what we require. Whilst it is important to talk to the market and
listen to its views, sourcing the market in this way is usually only
necessary for complex or innovative procurements, or where the
supply market is not mature. Care should be exercised when talking to
potential suppliers that you are not acting anti-competitively



2.3 Seeking tenders

The procedure for seeking tenders depends on the value of the
proposed contract .The values and procedures are outlined at the end
of this document
In all cases the Procurement Support Unit can undertake the
procurement of goods and services on behalf of your school should
you require, and will advise you on the procedure, timescales and any
relevant procurement law.
This service is currently included in the price of your service level
agreement for Procurement Services


2.4 Evaluation

Once tenders have been received then the process of evaluation can
begin. The criteria for the evaluation process will have been pre-set
and must be adhered to. This is especially important where the
contract is subject to European Procurement Law.
The evaluation will take account of the whole picture and not just
obvious considerations such as price. The process needs to be a
systematic, fair and open one. The extent and detail of that process
and the make up of the evaluation team should reflect the size, value
and risk associated with the procurement.

2.5 Contract award and managing contract delivery

Once the successful tenderer is identified, a legally binding contract will
be entered into by way of a formal acknowledgement. This last stage
is to ensure that, as the contract is delivered, it is in accordance with
what has been agreed. On large projects the role of Contract Manager
is a critical one and the designated Contract Manager should be
involved throughout the procurement cycle.
Monitoring of both the contract delivery, and the performance of the
contractor, is essential to ensure that Best Value principles are met and
targets for continuous improvement can be set
It will also allow us to feed those experiences into the next project.