Para 5.2 — WORKS_MANUAL

5.3 Preparation of Comparative Statement and Briefing

Note 5.3.1 Except in cases of LTE, the Procuring Entity should prepare a comparative statement of quotations received in the order in which tenders were opened. In case of TechnoCommercial bid comparative statement will have information about deciding responsiveness and eligibility of bids and evaluation of Technical suitability of offers. In case of Financial bid it would have information about rates quoted (including taxes or otherwise), discount, if any, and any other information having implications on ranking of bids etc The comparative statement so prepared should be signed by the concerned officers. It may also be vetted by the associated/ integrated Finance for veracity of information. It is also a good practice, to prepare a briefing note by the member secretary of TC for guidance of other TC members, before first TC meeting is held. In some organisations, the briefing note is also vetted by Finance. TC cannot have tender accepting authority as a TC member.

5.4 Preliminary Examination 5.4.1 Confidentiality of Process i) Information relating to the examination, clarification, evaluation and comparison of bids, and recommendations for the award of a contract, shall not be disclosed to bidders or any other person not officially concerned with such a process until the award to the successful bidder has been announced. ii) From the time of bid opening to the time of contract award, no bidder shall contact the Procuring Entity on any matter related to the bid, except on request and prior written permission. iii) Any effort by the bidder to influence the Procuring Entity in bid evaluation, bid comparison or contract award decisions will vitiate the process and will result in the rejection of the bidder's bid. Such conditions, incurring in

(i) &

(ii) above shall be embedded in the Instructions to Bidders (ITB).

5.2 Schedule of Procurement Powers (SoPP) 5.2.1 There are delegations up to a low threshold value below which the evaluation of the bids and decision for award of contract may be entrusted directly (instead on a recommendation of a Tender Committee) to individual competent authority. He would himself carry out all the steps in evaluation described below, instead of the TC and directly record reasons and decision on the file itself. He may ask for a Technical Suitability report from User Departments, if so needed. In procurements above such a threshold, evaluation is carried out by Tender Committee consisting of three or more members with requisite experience and competence. Members include a Financial Adviser or his representative and a representative of the user as per SoPP. Procuring Entity should lay down a SoPP specifying such thresholds. Experts may also be called in to assist the TC. TC should not be very large as it may slow down the evaluation process. There is no need to constitute any other committee for technical evaluation, preliminary evaluation etc. The representative of user Department will work as a convener of the TC. No member of the tender committee should be reporting directly to any other member of such committee in case estimated value of the procurement exceeds Rs. 25 lakh42 . Though the GFR stipulates this provision only when the estimated value of the procurement exceeds Rs. 25 lakh, it is desirable that the same provision should be followed in the constitution of all purchase committees irrespective of the value of procurement. Every Procuring Entity is expected to clearly lay down the powers, jurisdiction and composition of different levels of Tender Committee and corresponding Accepting Authority for different categories of procurement and different threshold values of procurements. Such an arrangement ensures checks & balances in the Tender Evaluation Process. Competent authority, in direct acceptance case; and member secretary of the Tender Committee will receive the bids opened along with other documents from the tender opening officials and are responsible for safe-custody of the documents and for processing involved at all steps in finalising the Procurement. A model SoPP is attached in Appendix-4 for guidance.