Procurement Guidelines - New York State Office of General Services

VI. BEST PRACTICESThis chapter highlights practices that experience has shown will make a procurementeasier to manage, help ensure that the appropriate goods/services are obtained, increase theability to receive control agency approval, and minimize the likelihood of a bid protest.A. Knowing the Business NeedsKnow what the “end result” needs to be. Before starting the procurement process, havea good understanding of what the agency needs, what a product will be used for, whether therewill be a need for modifications to existing equipment or facilities, and what is available in themarketplace. Identification of the business needs may require meeting with end-users to bringadded clarity to the scope of the transaction and the various components of the transaction,such as the intended product usage, what services are needed, or site conditions.B. Proper PlanningProper planning is the single most important factor in conducting a successfulprocurement. Proper planning includes allowing adequate time for advertisement, writing aclear and concise solicitation, allowing sufficient time for potential bidders to ask questions andprepare a proposal (taking into account the complexity of the solicitation), reviewing thebids/proposals, and conducting internal/ external reviews of the final contract.C. Thorough Information GatheringConsider using a Request for Information (RFI), as discussed in Chapter IV, to gatherinformation about the types of goods/services that are available. Certain types of productsevolve rapidly; therefore, sending an RFI to vendors may provide insight on newer, moreefficient products or services that better address the needs of the agency. It is also stronglyrecommended that an RFI be advertised in the New York State Contract Reporter to provideadditional vendors with an opportunity to respond to the RFI.D. Conducting Pre-Bid ConferencesPre-bid conferences can be very helpful to both agency staff and prospective bidders,particularly with respect to complex procurements. A pre-bid conference provides theprospective bidders and agency staff an opportunity to ask questions and obtain a betterunderstanding of what is needed and what might be offered. Participation by potential biddersin a pre-bid conference can be deemed mandatory or optional. The conference can beconducted via a conference call, in-person, or as a combination of both. If a pre-bid conferenceis held, the agency must document who attended, the questions raised, the location, time, andNew York State Procurement Guidelines 37