Oklahoma local government news, summer 1995

              Z 2135.6 L811g Summer 1995
OKLAHOMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS
PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE CENTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY, OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, SPONSORED JOINTLY BY THE
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE OKLAHOMA COMMISSION ON COUNTY
GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL, EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
308 CITD
Stillwater, OK

405-744-6049
Summer 1995
edited by Douglas Wright
Avoid Pi
n Writing Bid Specifications
by Suzanne Spears
So you want to bid a service.... maybe a pest control
service for the building or a janitorial service.   Where do
you start?   You know that you want a bug-free work
environment and clean restrooms but other than that you
are at a loss on specifics.   Your immediate thought may
be to initiate specifications that by doing specs in this
manner would allow the vendor to be creative and come
in and impress you with how they can be of service.   It is
a TRAP.   Do Not Do It.   Put your money in your pocket
and head to the nearest exit.
A specification is a description of what will satisfy your
needs - your grocery list, not a fi 11 -in-the-blank menu for
the vendor.   You may be wanting a side dish for chicken
and the vendor maybe thinking veal.   Writing good
specifications is the foundation of getting a good bid.
What then is the first step?  Writing specifications for
services is difficult.   When it comes to a service you may
not have the knowledge to focus on the design of the
service; don't worry.   You can focus on the acceptable
performance level and the design of the entity in which
the service will be performed.   Who better than you
know what it is that you want?
Visit with your purchasing agent and get their input.
Maybe they know of similar bids in other counties that
might be a good resource.   Then you would not have to
reinvent the wheel.   But if starting from scratch, there
are a few things to remember.
Be sure to have a sound system of service evaluation and
be sure that you have that evaluation system outlined in
your specifications.   Evaluation can either be
performance specific or a physical attribute that is the
result of good performance - shining bathroom facilities
with a constant supply of toilet paper and a pleasant odor
maybe the indicators that janitorial service is alive and
well in your courthouse.
Also if the service is going to involve several people
(more than one person uses the restroom) get their
opinion on what is an acceptable level of performance.
Determine how often the vendor's service will be
checked - weekly?, monthly?   Is there an outside public
entity that would have more expertise in this area that
could read your specifications or come and do
performance checks for you?   At what point in a vendor's
lack of performance do you terminate?  Is the rejection
policy built into the specifications?
When it comes to a service that might have residual
effect on humans (a service using chemical compounds,
for example), it is a good idea to talk about products
used in performing that service in standard terms.
MSDS standards are a great example.   Licenses, bonding
and certifications are also industry standards that can be
very useful.   Have you asked for vendor references?
Centralized Purchasing when done correctly gets the
county and the taxpayer best value - affordable quality.
But it takes an educated group of participants.   If you are
a Requesting Officer, make the system work to your
advantage.   Bad bids are often the result of poor
specifications.   Take responsibility for writing
specifications that address the need.   Vendors will take
you seriously and respond accordingly.   Remember, the
vendor is a taxpayer and is one half of the purchasing
system.