Enhancing Procurement Practices

Book excerpt: Enhancing Procurement Practices is organised around four main points: -overview and analysis of procurement principles, -practical approach to drafting of solicitation and contract documents, -conduct of procurement procedures, -overview of the e-procurement arena. Although the addressed procurement methods can be used on a wide scale, this book concentrates primarily on such cases when the subject of procurement is complex, or the solicited goods and services are relatively simple but the intended long-term relationship calls for a fairly conscious source selection. Project procurement, the most complicated form of buying civil engineering work, goods, and services, is thoroughly addressed. Beyond the structured overview and comparative analysis of terminology and principles, the book describes such new concepts as single-source preference for simultaneous procurements, dual-term frame contract for parallel suppliers, and the use of semi-consolidated contract documents. Effective utilisation of theories boils down - among others - to a consistent set of procurement-related terms, proven methodology for drafting comprehensive solicitation documents and contracts, and practical details of communication with offerors.