Procurement – RFPs, negotiation and management of contracts

The people within ONZL have extensive experience with putting together Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) documents and managing the process through to selection and contract negotiation.

The RFP process can be an expensive exercise both for the organisation issuing it and for those responding to it. It is important therefore that it is done right first time, that all participants are clear about what is expected of them and that the documentation is clear in its intent and accurate in its detail.

The selection process needs to be well understood by those responding so that they can prioritise their effort into areas that you are focused on. For example providing respondents with a list of mandatory information and in the format you wish to receive it will enable a more efficient evaluation of responses on your part and less effort on theirs.

Selecting the preferred supplier is not the end of the process though, too often the RFP process ends with the selection and then the lawyers are left to argue about the contract for service. A good contract is one that leaves both parties with a clear understanding of their roles and obligations which will form the basis for the on-going relationship.

A poor contract focuses on nailing down what will happen in the event of failure of the relationship, it is signed and filed away in the file marked “in the event of emergency break glass and push button”.

ONZL’s people are not lawyers, but we have many years of contract negotiation and management expertise.