Post on 26-Apr-2020
Does this cause you to shake and shiver?
Specifications
Scope of work
Bids and Purchasing
Nick Kuhn
TEXAS ISA – Sep 27, 2012
Its like cooking
O Request for… is asking for something
O RF-Bid is usually an item
O RF-Proposal is usually service or project
O Specifications are the ingredients
O Scope of work is the recipe
What does an RFP cover?
O Information
O Requirements
O Alert to any possible issues
O Ensures everyone is thinking the same
O Evaluate
O How and Why… to pick the best
O Objective and subjective
Start at the Specifications
O “State a fact or requirement clearly & precisely”
O The work or product needed
O What is to be done by work or product
O What is or isn’t allowed
O All specs are Design, Performance, or a Combination
O Major work points – overall concept not details
O “Make 2,042 cuts on 48 trees”
O “Remove dead limbs over 2” diameter on 48 trees”
Caution O Specifying by brand name or exclusionary statements
O Use same terminology everywhere
O Avoid using “final” words
O Words that can’t be measured easily
Planting or
Building Spec?
• Old Sidewalk
• New Sidewalk
If you can say it in less words
O Always choose the shortest explanation
O Use pictures
Use others
O Ask for Fiscal / Purchasing help
O When reading legalese and other bids & specs…
Don’t Panic!
O Attachments can be great…
but don’t rely on them to do the work for you
O Example – the “graphic user interface guide” for
Microsoft Windows (the specs on how windows based
programs should look) is 882 pages long
Caution
ANSI A300 and Z133 and Z60.1
Work, Safety, and Nursery
O Foreward - “these standards are used to develop
written specifications for work assignments. They
are not intended to be used as specifications in
and of themselves”
Scope of work is the ‘How to”
The Waterfall Model
Scope of work covers…
O What should be done
O How it is done
O How it is not done
O Where and when
Refine O Read it
O Re-read
O Re-re-read
O Ask others to read it
O Read it again
O Examples of problem wording
O "The vendor shall provide status reports at regular
intervals not less than every 2 weeks."
Things to know
O Scope creep
O Anything different than what is planned
O Changes orders
O Items added OR deleted
O Gantt chart
O Very useful tool
O List acronyms and tech speak
O Does it require a
change order?
O Is this a mistake
on contractors
part or the plan?
O Will tree or
the design win?
Administrative details
QUICK SURVEY
Administrative details
O Electronic format
O Paper copies
O Meeting times and place
O Who should be at meetings
O Ways to handle change orders
SUMMARY
O RFP – we need beer
SUMMARY O RFP – we need beer
O Specifications
O design – I want good beer
O performance – I want beer fast
O combination – I want good beer fast
SUMMARY O RFP – we need beer
O Specifications
O design – I want good beer
O performance – I want beer fast
O combination – I want good beer fast
O Scope – make beer with this recipe and these items in this place at this time and deliver it here at this temperature
SUMMARY O RFP – we need beer
O Specifications
O design – I want good beer
O performance – I want beer fast
O combination – I want good beer fast
O Scope – make beer with this recipe and these items in this place
at this time and deliver it at this temperature
O Mission Creep
I want a shot too!... and some wings!
SUMMARY O RFP – we need beer
O Specifications
O design – I want good beer
O performance – I want beer fast
O combination – I want good beer fast
O Scope – make beer with this recipe and these items in this place at
this time and deliver it at this temperature
O Mission Creep – I want a shot too!... and some wings!
O Completion
O *chug chug* Yes, its good beer. Here! Take my money
O *chug chug* No… its not good beer – start over
Thank you for inviting me
NICK KUHN
Missouri Department of Conservation
Community Forestry Coordinator
Society of Municipal Arborists
City4ster
O city4ster@gmail.com
O 573.452.TREE