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Checklists

7 Secrets to Quicky Become Proficient in Public Procurement

Jorge Lynch 10 Comments

Introduction

Many of us begin working as newly appointed public procurement practitioners with no idea of what to do or where to start. And it may take several years before we develop a system for being more efficient and effective in our work. Over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that to quickly achieve proficiency in public procurement management, there are seven things you need to do.

1. Study the Public Procurement Rules

Most public procurement organizations are governed by a legal framework (procurement rules) consisting of a procurement law or regulation (sometimes called “the Act”).  This is further developed into policies and procedures, procurement and contract administration manuals and guidelines, including standard bidding documents which are used for inviting bids and proposals. The language of public procurement policies, procedures, guidelines, manuals and standard bidding documents must align with what is stipulated in the public procurement legal framework. Adherence to the public procurement rules is obligatory and infractions are punishable by law. [Read more…] about 7 Secrets to Quicky Become Proficient in Public Procurement

Filed Under: Achieving Proficiency, Checklists, Proficiency

Importance of Using Checklists in Public Procurement

Jorge Lynch 4 Comments

The procurement process is repetitive, and although most steps are fairly easy to remember, missing or forgetting small things in the process can lead to misinterpretation of your actions as a procurement practitioner and public official.

Especially when you are a beginner, you need to find a way to remember the things that need to be done so that you can begin to gain a certain degree of independence and require reduced supervision over time.

Given that procurement is a step by step process, it is better to use checklists rather than rely on your memory to ensure all the steps are covered. This is especially important because in public procurement any mistake could be misinterpreted as intentional action on your part to favor a particular bidder, and this is something you want to avoid at all cost because not only will it put your credibility in question, but it will also affect the public’s perception of the integrity of the procuring entity and the Government.

Developing and using checklists can be a great help to increase your understanding of the procurement process and to lessen mistakes you could make if you forget certain important steps. Also, by quickly learning the basic elements of the procurement process and how to successfully carry them out, you will acquire a better understanding and be more confident of your ability to learn, and this may open doors to opportunities for enhancing your career as a procurement practitioner.

Types of public procurement checklists

As a beginner, you may wonder how you will be able to develop checklists and on what. But you can develop checklists as you learn about the procurement process and verify your notes with whoever is teaching you the process. You can also consult the procurement manuals or guidelines at your disposal.

You can develop a checklist to help you remember the basic steps of the procurement and contract administration process. This would be a general checklist briefly covering the following:

  • Need identification
  • Specification development
  • Market research
  • Procurement planning and scheduling
  • Requesting and receiving offers cheska-lekarna.com
  • Evaluation offers
  • Contract award
  • Managing the contract

Additionally, it would be immensely beneficial if you would develop a detailed checklist of each of the steps in the procurement and contract administration process. As you are learning each, you should write down all the steps used to identify a procurement need, steps for developing a specification, steps for preparing a procurement plan, steps for preparing solicitation documents, and so on. By doing this, you will have written down all the details related to the entire procurement process.

Besides the above, I’ve found checklist particularly useful for ensuring procurement records are well maintained and as a reminder of any record that may be missing from the files. For an overview of creating a checklist for record keeping, go here.

Developing a checklist can involve a considerable amount of work, but the time invested is well worth it because you’ll then have a tool that can be used for quite some time with minor modifications for improvement or changes in the procurement rules.

You should make an effort to prepare checklists on whatever you are learning and to verify them with whoever is training and mentoring you. Better yet, you should encourage your trainer to use checklists when teaching the procurement process and share them with you for future use. But rather than rely solely on checklists developed by others, you should make an effort to develop them yourself as part of the learning process and they will not only help you to better understand the procurement process but to remember the essential steps to effective public procurement management.

Have you used checklists before? What has been your experience using checklists? Leave a comment.

Filed Under: Checklists, Procurement Process, Record Keeping

Checklist of Potential Risks in the Procurement Process

Jorge Lynch 1 Comment

The procurement and contract administration process are prone to risks. There are risks in determining need and planning procurements, developing specifications, selecting the appropriate procurement methods, preparing solicitation documents and calling for offers, evaluation and selection of firms and individuals, negotiating the contract, and contract administration.

Procurement management is about solving problems and managing risks. Customers need supplies and services to solve immediate and future needs. They usually have little understanding of procurement and unrealistic expectations about the procurement process. Procurement planning and strategy development are important to reduce risk in the procurement process. A comprehensive understanding of the procurement process, principles and guidelines is also important to finding appropriate solutions and minimizing risks.

The following is a link to a comprehensive checklist of potential risks in the procurement process:

http://www.purchasing.tas.gov.au/Documents/Checklist-of-Potential-Risks

You can download the checklist in Word and pdf formats.

Courtesy of: NSW Department of Public Works and Services https://cheska-lekarna.com

Filed Under: Checklists, Procurement Process, Risks

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