Further to Martin’s rant about framework agreements a month or so ago, I’d like to tell you about my experience recently. (This is probably either brave or stupid – having a go at a framework tender half way through the process - but I think it needs to be said.) Way back in October 2007, we completed an online PQQ (Pre Qualification Questionnaire) for a major procurement organisation. As we understood it, this was the first stage in becoming an official preferred supplier that any Government department, public authority or not-for-profit organisation could ultimately call upon for recruitment related services without having to go to formal pitch. Seemed sensible to us and we spent some time completing the online documentation. Some 2 months after the date by which we were due to have heard the result, we finally learnt that we had got through to the next stage and downloaded the (very) complex ITT (Invitation To Tender). Now, most tenders take a while to get your head around. Very few are actually written for the purpose of producing a shortlist for a recruitment marketing supplier. They typically tend to be standard documents that get rolled out for every procurement exercise whether it is for something relevant or, as was the case recently, for industrial magnets. Anyway, without going in to detail – and believe me, you don’t want me to – this ITT is confusing. To the point where we are no longer sure what we are tendering for, it’s that general. Are they after recruitment marketing agencies? Search consultancies? Outsourcing specialists? I don’t know any more. And, one has to provide what amounts to a separate bid for every area of specialisation, each with several client testimonials and case studies – or to be a general supplier… or not…or something. Oh, and if you do become a preferred supplier in whatever specialism or generalism you are down for, none of the Government departments, public authorities or not-for-profit organisations this exercise is aimed at helping actually have to take any notice of the preferred supplier list anyway. They can conduct their own separate tender or pitch process as before. To be fair, one is able to send questions through to the organisers, but all answers are sent to all tenderers, and none actually include the original question. So, everyday one receives emails with answers to people’s queries, but no context, which isn’t very helpful. I received an update from the organisers last week informing me that the deadline has been extended by 2 weeks to give interested parties a better chance to put their best bids forward. Or is it because neither tenderer nor organiser has the slightest clue what’s going on?
