Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) Business ...... · Government Electronic Tenders...

Government Electronic Tenders Service

(GETS)

Business Process Guide – AGENCY

Last updated

23rd

May 2014

v1.0

Table of Contents

Glossary of terms ................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 7

High Level Processes for Suppliers......................................................................................................... 8

High Level Processes for Purchasers .................................................................................................... 10

Create Procurement Officer ................................................................................................................. 12

Add Non-procurement User to GETS ................................................................................................... 14

Managing Questions on an RFx ........................................................................................................... 16

Create Third Party Purchasing Agent ................................................................................................... 18

RFx Compliance Management ............................................................................................................. 20

Contract Award .................................................................................................................................... 23

Glossary of terms

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Abbreviation Description

ACE Autonomous Crown Entity

APP Annual Procurement Plan

CRI Crown Research Institute

DIS Disposal

ETCO Electronic Tender Coordination Officer

GETS Government Electronic Tenders Service

ICE Independent Crown Entity

ITP Invitation to Participate (Competitive Dialogue)

ITQ Invitation to Qualify (Prequalified Supplier List)

ITR Invitation to Register (Registered Supplier)

NOI Notice of Information

NZBN New Zealand Business Number

PO Procurement Officer

Q&A Questions and Answers

RFC Request for Comment

RFI Request for Information (Market Research)

RFP Request for Proposals

RFQ Request for Quotations

RFT Request for Tenders

ROI Registration of Interest

UNSPSC United Nations Standard Products and Services Classification

Definitions

Term Definition

Child RFx An RFx which has a previous RFx in the same project flagged as a

Parent RFx (See below).

Close Date The date and time by which Suppliers are notified they must submit

their responses. No new subscriptions will be accepted after the close

date.

Electronic

Tender

Coordination

Officer

The officer in your Organisation responsible for managing the RFx

process in GETS. There is usually only one ETCO account in each

Organisation, however larger Organisations may have multiple ETCOs.

Your Organisation will advise you who is/are the ETCO(s).

GETS RFx ID A unique reference RFx number allocated by the GETS system.

Invitation to

Participate

(Competitive

Dialogue)

An RFx type which is used as a Competitive Dialogue is a specific

process used in complex procurements - Rule 31.

The system controls applied to this type are:

• Standard

• Not PO Publishable

Invitation to

Qualify

(Prequalified

Supplier List)

An RFx type which is used as a Registered Supplier is a defined term in

Rules of Sourcing - Rule 53.


• Streamline

• PO Publishable

Invitation to

Register

(Registered

Supplier)

An RFx type which is used as a Registered Supplier is a defined term in

Rules of Sourcing - Rule 52.


• Streamline

• PO Publishable

Late Date The latest date and time by which Suppliers must submit their

responses. For the duration between the close and late dates GETS

will continue to accept Supplier responses, but will flag those

responses as being late. However no new subscriptions are accepted.

Suppliers are not notified of this time and date.

Notice of

Information

An RFx type which is used as a general notice which may or may not

relate to procurement.


• Streamline

Term Definition

• PO Publishable

Open Date The date and time that the RFx will be published on GETS and made

available to the public or select Suppliers.

Parent RFx An RFx which logically precedes a subsequent RFx in the same project.

For example, a Registration of Interest (ROI) may logically precede the

detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) for the same project. In this case,

the ROI may be flagged as the Parent RFx of the RFP.

PO Not

Publishable

An RFx Type control that requires the responsible Procurement Officer

to request an ETCO to publish (or release) the set of approach to

market documents to the public or a select group of suppliers.

PO Publishable An RFx Type control that allows the responsible Procurement Officer

to publish (or release) the set of approach to market documents to

the public or a select group of suppliers.

Price Band An estimate of the expected value of the contract (or total for multiple

contracts) per RFx, expressed as a dollar range.

Procurement

Officer (PO)

An active role responsible for supporting the preparation of RFxs, the

evaluation of Supplier responses, and the awarding of contracts on

behalf of the Organisation. There can be as many Procurement Officer

accounts as required by an Organisation.

Registration of

Interest

An RFx type which is used as a Notice of Procurement defined in Rules

of Sourcing - Rule 31, 34-5


• PO Publishable

Request for

Comment

An RFx type which is used when Agencies use GETS as a means for

publicising documents released for public consultation.


• PO Publishable

Request for

Information

(Market

Research)

An RFx type which is used as a market research tool and is NOT a

Notice of Procurement as defined in the Rules of Sourcing - Rule 31.


• PO Publishable

Request for

Proposals


of Sourcing - Rule 31, 34-5.


• Standard

Term Definition

• Not PO Publishable

Request for

Quotations

An RFx type which is a Notice of Procurement defined in Rules of

Sourcing - Rule 31, 34-5. The system controls applied to this type are:

• Standard

• PO Publishable

Request for

Tenders


of Sourcing - Rule 31, 34-5.


• Standard

• PO Publishable

RFx An approach to market (generic term)

RFx Categories GETS contains the UNSPSC (see below) list of categories. Suppliers use

this when searching GETS to identify tenders that are applicable to

their business.

RFx Regions An RFx field that describes where the deliverables (goods and/or

services) of the RFx are to be provided. The region can be

International, all of New Zealand or selected from the 17 NZ regions.

Standard An RFx Type control that requires a two key unlock (ETCO key applied

followed by the key of the assigned Procurement Officer) to view

responses.

Streamline An RFx Type control that requires a single key unlock (Procurement

Officer’s key only applied) to view responses.

Super ETCO An officer in the New Zealand Government responsible for

administering GETS. There are a limited number of Super ETCO

accounts.

Tender Coverage Indicates the types of contract to be placed as a result of the RFx.

Values are: Sole Agency; All of Government; Cluster; Syndicated

Opportunity and On behalf of a procurement agent.

United Nations

Standard

Products and

Services

Classification

An open global coding system that classifies products and services.

UNSPSC is used extensively around the world in electronic catalogues,

search engines, procurement application systems and accounting

systems.

Introduction

The processes provided in this guide are intended to assist Agencies in providing support to

all GETS users. They are not exhaustive and it is expected that over time Agencies will

develop and adapt them to meet their own specific operational requirements.

These processes are to be used in conjunction with:

• The Administrator (ETCO) guide

• The web based e-learning module for procurement officers

• Additional input from the GETS Administration team in the Government Procurement

Branch at MBIE.

In scope:

• Agency administration

o Procurement Officer administration

o Tender process administration

o Account management in the absence of an available ETCO.

Out of scope:

• System issues

• Specific advice on selection of tender watch codes

• Information relating to specific tenders

• Procurement practice and policy advice

• Agency eligibility assessment

• Agency creation.

Further information on GETS is available on the website www.gets.govt.nz

The government procurement website also has a comprehensive range of guides, tools and

templates which support purchasing organisations in ensuring that they apply good practice

to all their procurement processes.

High Level Processes for Suppliers

The following process map identifies the processes suppliers will follow when using GETS

The key activities are:

• Registration

• Creation of a RealMe account

• Subscribing and unsubscribing to tenders

• Questions and answers

• Submitting responses

• Searching for information

• Creating additional accounts.

Suppliers will have their own internal process for selecting and managing subscriptions and

responses. Supplier may wish to create an additional account if they are working for another

organisation as well as themselves. GETS accounts are associated with a unique ID and each

account will need to be separate.

High Level Processes for Purchasers

The following process map identifies the processes purchasers will follow when using GETS

The key activities are:

• Agency creation

• Electronic Tender Coordinator (ETCO) creation

• Procurement Officer (PO) creation

• Tender management.

Purchasers will have their own internal processes outside of GETS for approving access and

approving and initiating procurement process.

Create Procurement Officer

The process displayed on the next page is designed to ensure that you are able to manage

the creation of Procurement Officers in GETS and that the appropriate approvals are sought.

Procurement Officers are able to publish tenders and manage tender processes so it is

important that they are trained in the system and are suitably qualified and experienced.

The job of a Procurement Officer is to:

• Manage tender processes in GETS in line with all applicable rules, policies and

procedures

• Ensure that tender processes are effective and efficient through good use of any

relevant tools and templates.

It is up to each purchasing organisation to create and manage their own GETS user

community and ensure that suitable policies, procedures and controls are in place to allow

them to make effective use of GETS.

Objectives: To create a Procurement Officer for an agency

Inputs: Internal request for creation of a Procurement Officer

Outputs: Creation of a Procurement officer

Sub-processes: None

Systems and Tools Used: GETS, email

Involved: ETCO, Procurement Manager, GETS Helpdesk

Add Non-procurement User to GETS

Not all users will need to be Procurement Officers; there are others outside the

procurement function who have an interest in procurement activity. Their needs will usually

be met by accessing GETS through the public site using a RealMe login.

Non-procurement users:

• Require limited access

• Do not manage procurement processes.

To create a non-procurement user:

• The agency must exist

• There must be an ETCO for the agency.

Objectives: To add a non-procurement user to GETS

Inputs: Internal request for access to GETS

Outputs: Addition of a non-procurement user to the organisation’s

GETS client list

Sub-processes: Creation of an Agency if none exists

Creation of an ETCO if none exists

Creation of a Procurement Officer if that is a more

appropriate role


Involved: ETCO, Procurement Manager, GETS Helpdesk

Managing Questions on an RFx

Questions will be submitted by potential respondents during most RFx processes. It is

important that these are handled appropriately and in a timely manner.

• The question must be answered within a reasonable timeframe

• There may be a need to seek expert input to ensure the answer is accurate

• Where a supplier requests that an answer is kept confidential and the agency disagrees

the supplier should be given the option of withdrawing the question unanswered

• It may be necessary to modify the question prior to publishing the answer to preserve

the anonymity of the supplier – it is important that the substance of the question is not

altered

• Invalid questions need not be answered.

If multiple organisations ask a similar question a generic response can be used.

Objectives: Effective management of questions and answers in an RFx

process

Inputs: Question received on an RFx

Outputs: The answer to the questions is provided to all users who

have subscribed to an RFx unless the answer is confidential

Sub-processes: None


Involved: Supplier, PO, ETCO, Subject Matter Expert

Create Third Party Purchasing Agent

Purchasing organisations regularly make use of third party agents to conduct procurement

processes on their behalf. It is important that there is a formal agreement between the

purchasing organisation and the agent.

The purchasing organisation is accountable for the actions of their agent and should ensure

that the agent is aware of and applies all relevant rules and policies.

A purchasing agent can:

• Initiate and manage tender processes on GETS

• View agency tender activity within GETS.

A purchasing agent must not:

• Act without the authority of the delegated agency authority

• Enter into a contract with any successful respondent.

In order to ensure that GETS is being used effectively and that suitable controls are in place

the GETS administration team at MBIE may require copies of contracts with any third party

agents.

Objectives: Creation of third party procurement agent

Inputs: Request for creation of a third party agent

Outputs: Contracted third party account activated

Sub-processes: Creation of Contract with purchasing Agent


Involved: Purchasing Agent, ETCO, Procurement Manager

GETS: Create Third Party Purchaser

Start EndAlready on GETS Yes

Provide PO details

No

Existing contract

in place

Send training

modules

Yes

Create Third party

Contract

established

No

Relevant

information

provided

Yes

No

Final Version 1.0

GETS

RFx Compliance Management

The process displayed on the next page is a simplified process that ignores any specific

policies or process your agency may have in place. It is designed to ensure that any tender

published on GETS:

• Meets the requirement of the Government Rules of Sourcing (as applicable)

• Provides potential respondents with clear and succinct information to help them easily

decide whether to seek further information and/or subscribe to the notice

• That all information, including dates, times and contact details in the notice and tender

documents are consistent throughout.

Ensuring that the information is correct and that there is sufficient detail for suppliers to

assess their level of interest eliminates the need to issue corrections and reduces the

number of questions which will need to be answered.

Objectives: Provide a high level process for publication of tenders on

GETS

Inputs: RFx information including supporting documentation

Outputs: Tender Notices on GETS which comply with any applicable

rules policy and guidelines

Sub-processes: None

Systems and Tools Used: GETS, GETS - Tender draft information sheet, GETS - Tender

Checklist for PO/ETCO

Involved: Tender Manager, Procurement Officer, ETCO

Contract Award

Public sector purchasers are encouraged to publish information on the outcome of their

procurement processes; this is good practice and provides a level of transparency around

public expenditure. Publishing award notices is compulsory for agencies covered by the

Government Rules of Sourcing. There is detailed information relating to the process of

awarding contracts in the Rules and also the minimum information required in the award

notice:

• the purchasing agency’s name and address

• the successful supplier’s or suppliers’ name/s and address/s

• a description of the goods, services or works covered

• the date the contract/s was awarded

• the term of the contract/s

• the expected spend under the contract/s (or the highest and lowest offers the

agency evaluated to award the contract)

• the type of procurement process used – e.g. Open RFP, Select RFP, RFQ

• the details of any exemption from open advertising.

Objectives: To publish a contract award as per government rules of

sourcing

Inputs: PO/ETCO to load award notice

Outputs: Publish a contract award for tender

Sub-processes: None

Systems and Tools Used: GETS

Involved: Procurement Officer, ETCO

Support Request

The Help Desk will receive requests for support from multiple sources and will need to be

able to select an appropriate response:

The key success factor is all calls being managed to a successful close and there are no

orphan activities where the requestor has not been advised of the outcome.

Objectives: Manage requests for support

Inputs: Support request:

• Contact us

• Email

• Phone call

Outputs: All requests for support are completed to requestor

satisfaction

Sub-processes: None

Systems and Tools Used: GETS, email, Trac, Helpdesk call manager

Involved: Helpdesk, requestor, GETS Admin, eVALUA, MBIE IT

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