NPN1.16 - Industrial, Construction, Electrical and General Hardware & Materials

The first National Hardware contract driving value, buying power, flexibility and consistency!

Local Government Procurement is pleased to announce the commencement of the new Industrial, Construction, Electrical and General Hardware & Materials Contract (NPN1.16).

Being extremely diverse in what it delivers, NPN1.16 is the first to provide local government with a wide range of hardware categories under one major contract, making it a ‘one stop shop’ for council’s hardware requirements. 

The product categories included within this contract are:

• Paint, Protective Coatings and Adhesives
• Electrical and Lighting
• General Hardware
• Building and Construction Materials
• Hand and Power Tools 
• Nursery and Garden Care 
• Domestic and Retail Plumbing Supplies.

The NPN1.16 contract is designed to support councils in their operations through the provision of a wide range of approved contractors delivering flexibility, greater buying power and substantial discounts on a large range of products.

For more details on the panel and products click here NPN1.16.

Avoiding Ambiguity in Tender Documentation

by Heidi Wolfenden, Contracts and Legal Officer

It goes without saying, but when we are in a rush or under pressure we often neglect the finer details. Oversight of the finer details has the capacity to undo one’s best laid plans, or indeed, a tender process.

Every week, LGP receives a number of enquiries from council staff seeking procurement guidance as to their own tender processes and documentation. At the crux of many of these enquiries is ambiguity in tender documentation. LGP usually receives these enquires at evaluation stage or at contract stage, where there may be a dispute and the issues turn to a matter of interpretation of the wording used in the tender. Many of these issues arise as a result of hastily drafted wording, often due to pressure experienced by council staff to release a tender on time. But there is hope, as many of these issues can be easily avoided, and in turn, councils can save themselves both time and money (not to mention headaches!) in the long run, simply by giving due consideration to the drafting of its tender documentation.

As LGP’s Contracts and Legal Officer, I would like to take this opportunity to provide some commentary as to some basic checks that council staff should – at minimum – undertake when drafting its tender documentation.

When commencing a process on behalf of council, ask yourself the following questions:

“What kind of process am I seeking to run?”

Is it an Expression of Interest (EOI) process, with the aim to then proceed to selective tender stage? Is it a Request for Tender (RFT) process, with a direct approach to market? Or is it a Request for Quotation (i.e. through an LGP panel arrangement to be uploaded through VendorPanel)?

This may seem obvious, but it is crucial that the type of tender process is identified from the very beginning and is clearly and consistently identified throughout the documentation. There are strict legislative requirements as to tender processes in New South Wales and as such, the implications not clearly identifying which type of process a council is following may not only be a breach of the local government legislation, but also that the entire process may be flawed. This may mean that a council has to abandon its process to date and recommence the tender process once again. Further, there is a real risk that a council may be in breach of process contract with tenderers if it has to set aside a tender process.

“What kind of goods, materials or services am I seeking in this process?”

In drafting your requirements/specifications, always consider whether the wording used would be easily understood by the market. If you are ambiguous in the specifications, you may be unintentionally limiting the number of respondents which may deliver the best ‘Value for Money’ solution for your council.

“Is this tender documentation robust enough to withstand public scrutiny?”

Consider whether there may be any perceived bias in the document. For example, are the requirements tailored in such a way that only one or two possible suppliers in the market may be able to lodge a submission? Another point to consider is the ‘newspaper test’ - is anything in the tender documentation that you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of the newspaper?

“Am I being consistent with my terminology?”

If you chose a word, be clear as to its meaning and be clear as to its application. For example, if you are referring to a tenderer, keep referring to a ‘tenderer’ throughout the documentation; do not use other words interchangeably, such as ‘respondent’ or ‘contractor’, as it creates ambiguity and thus, uncertainty.

“Should this really be a mandatory requirement?”

When asking whether a tenderer must provide a certain document in their tender submission, consider whether this should be a mandatory requirement. Be mindful that this requirement (i.e. use of ‘must’ or ‘shall’) may remove the opportunity for council's evaluation team to seek clarifications and a tenderer may be excluded from the process at initial compliance stage without permitting council the opportunity to seek clarifications.

“Do I need this proof read?”

The simple answer is “Yes!” Always allocate the time for both yourself and another person in your team to proof read the tender documentation and in doing so, being mindful of the objectives of the tender process and to check for any ambiguities. If you are not clear in expressing council's requirements or terms of contract, there is even less chance that a tenderer will understand it!

DON’T PANIC. If you do feel at a loss, remember that help is at hand!

LGP offers a service to NSW councils to provide general procurement advice. Please feel free to contact your LGP Business Development Manager.

LGP provides a range of innovative learning and development solutions tailored specifically for NSW council staff, delivered via different mediums including face to face and online mode. Through the extensive and exciting gamut of training programs in procurement, LGP can support you in achieving the best outcome from your suitably qualified and skilled staff members.

LGP training programs are offered as the following three suites and you can learn more about each by clicking on the relevant links:

• eLearning: LGP’s eLearning programs use state-of-the-art technology, to deliver cost effective training, specifically designed for NSW local government employees engaged in purchasing, quoting, tendering and contract management. Please click ProcureLearn for more details.
   
• Face-to-Face Training: Our face-to-face training features a range of interactive and leading practice modules, covering critical areas of procurement and contract management. Please click LGP Learning Centre for more details.
   
• Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) in Procurement: In partnership with ProLeaders Academy (Registered Training Organisation) LGP offers three Accredited Nationally Recognised Training from Certificate-IV to Advanced Diploma levels, customised specifically for NSW local government employees. Please click Procurement Qualifications for more details.

Grab this opportunity to partner with LGP for your procurement training needs.

There are limited seats available for the Advanced Diploma of Procurement and Contracting qualification starting Wednesday 19 July 2017. Register now!

Training Calendar and Registration

To contact LGP Training, email or call 02 8270 8709.
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

'Networking in the Bush' - Armidale

Registration Closing Soon!

LGP is committed to supporting local government procurement professionals to achieve efficiencies and drive capability development in procurement.

LGP’s 'Networking in the Bush' meeting is designed to bring procurement staff from across NSW together to discuss ideas, current issues and where appropriate work as a team on special projects. The networking meeting provides an opportunity for council officers involved in procurement to meet in an environment where networking and information sharing is conducted, as well as discuss the latest procurement initiatives within local government.

LGP’s second networking meeting for the year will be held in the Northern region of NSW in Armidale on Tuesday, 25 July 2017.

Who should attend?

• General Managers and senior management staff.
• Management staff involved in or overlooking procurement functions eg: tendering management, contract management, and supplier engagement.
• Procurement staff (all levels and sections of council).

Why should you attend?

• Valuable procurement knowledge imparted by LGP subject matter experts.
• Extensive legal knowledge provided by our legal partner at no cost.
• VendorPanel useful tips, tricks and training provided.
• Update of market trends, challenges and solutions in the procurement space.
• An update on sustainability in procurement.
• Free training opportunity for appropriate council staff.

Agenda: Click here

Date: Tuesday, 25 July 2017
Registration: 9:30am. – 10:00am.
Meeting: 10:00am. – 4:00pm.
Location: Lalor Harris Gallery, New England Regional Art Museum
106 - 114 Kentucky St., Armidale NSW 2350
Cost: Free to attend (lunch provided)

REGISTER NOW

The Local Government Procurement Conference is an established industry event for NSW local government. The conference provides a unique opportunity for suppliers to showcase their goods and services to a cross section of procurement professionals from across the state over two days.  It is also an excellent opportunity to attract potential customers and build on existing relationships already established.

The conference will be held on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December 2017 at the Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn Street Sydney.

Sponsorship opportunities are limited. Suppliers who wish to participate as a sponsor or as a trade exhibitor can view our Sponsorship Prospectus.

Local Government Procurement
Annual Conference 2017

Registration Now Open! 

'Building Procurement Capability and Embracing Innovation' is the theme of the 2017 Local Government Procurement Conference. The key topics covered over the two days will revolve around people and culture, technology, supplier relationship management, sustainable procurement, innovation and future trends.

The Local Government Procurement Conference is an established industry event for NSW local government. The conference provides opportunities to develop new and build on existing professional networks and working relationships and to learn from industry experts and peers.

Local Government Procurement Annual Conference 2017 will be held on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December 2017 at the Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn Street Sydney.

The conference will bring together local government managers to hear and learn about a range of procurement challenges within the sector. The conference is an ideal event for those involved in procurement, in particular:

• Procurement Managers
• Governance Managers
• Purchasing Officers
• Contracts Managers
• General Managers and Senior Managers

Visit our website to view updated information, or register your interest here to receive conference updates direct to your inbox.

Local Government Procurement
Consulting Team

Often councils do not have the time or required resources to dedicate to procurement. With this in mind, LGP has a specialised  team with over 20 years’ procurement experience in local government and global organisations to provide personalised and customised support to councils in relation to their specific procurement projects. Some of the services offered by the Consulting Team on a very competitive ‘fee for service’ basis are listed below, these include, but are  not limited to:

• RFX facilitation
• Review and development of procurement processes, policies and procedures
• Probity advice and audit services
• Customised supplier tender training
• Contract management
• Procurement project management
• Council specific procurement training

Over 40 individual and customised projects have been delivered to both local and regional councils. These projects have delivered councils requirements  for  due diligence, probity, fairness and transparency. The process delivered by the  Consulting Team ensures  best practice and is in accordance with  the  Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) Section 55, Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 (NSW) Part 7 Tendering and Tendering Guidelines for NSW Local  Government 2009.

For more information, please email the Consulting Team or call 02 8270 8747.

LEAP, a low cost ongoing continuous improvement program that uses real data and evidence to improve procurement capability of council, recently launched and continues to gain momentum!

Following on from the successful launch we had two successful LEAP webinars where we had over 90 attendees in total who showed keen interest in the product and were eager to learn how the program would benefit their council.

If you would like more information about the program, please email us or visit our website.

The LEAP program is delivered to council by both LGP in association with ArcBlue.

Tender Debriefs 

The tender debrief process is often a part of the tender process that is overlooked or where not enough attention is applied. All tender submissions received play an important part in the tender process and consideration should be given to the tenderers involvement and costs associated in submitting a tender.

Tenderers should be invited to request a debrief on their tender submission and the evaluation process. A formal tender debrief (if requested) should provide the unsuccessful tenderers an outline of the process and the results. Constructive  comments/ recommendations should be provided to allow tenderers the opportunity to improve future tender submissions. A debrief will also demonstrate that the tender process was conducted with good governance and transparency. 

For further information contact the LGP Consulting Team click here.

LGP Website Enhancements

Recently the LGP website has undergone some changes to the structure.  These changes are to improve the end users experience and ease of use in finding information as well as to highlight the core services available through LGP.  The main change has been to refine the header, so that regardless of where you are on the website, you can navigate in one click to the areas below:

About – information and links to legislation and the LGP team.

Councils – information for councils, including current contracts and tenders.

Consulting – information on the services available through the LGP Consulting team.

Training – information on the face to face training, nationally accredited qualifications and eLearning modules.

Events – information about the annual Local Government Procurement Conference, Procurement Awards and LGP Network.

Sustainable Choice – information about Sustainable Choice and the guidance and support available to councils.

Forum – a secure forum, accessible by council staff only, to request information or share ideas with their peers.

Contractors – information for LGP Approved Contractors and potential suppliers.

If you have any feedback please send this through to Emma Murray, Marketing and Communications Manager.