What is an evaluation plan?
Who develops the evaluation
plan?
When is the evaluation plan
developed?
What should the evaluation plan
contain?
Developing conditions for
participation, evaluation criteria and a
methodology
What is an
evaluation plan?
An evaluation plan is the planning and control
document for conducting the evaluation of offers received in
response to either a Request for Tender or a Request for Quotation.
It outlines the conditions for participation, evaluation criteria,
process, methodology and evaluation committee member
responsibilities.
A well-prepared evaluation plan ensures:
-
probity in the evaluation process;
-
the selection of the best value for money offer; and
-
a result that can be justified.
The evaluation plan should be completed, and
approved by an appropriate person within your agency, before the
Request documentation is finalised.
The evaluation plan is not made public, but
information on any conditions for participation, the evaluation
criteria and any weightings are included in the Request
documentation.
Who develops the
evaluation plan?
The Evaluation Committee, users and management
should be involved in the development of the evaluation plan.
When is the
evaluation plan developed?
The evaluation plan is developed and
documented during the planning phase of the purchase.
The evaluation plan should be developed:
- after
establishing the evaluation committee; as committee members
should be involved in the development of the conditions for
participation, evaluation criteria and methodology. Click on the
above link for information on selecting evaluation committee
members and their roles and responsibilities;
- in conjunction with
developing the specification; as it is important that the
conditions for participation and evaluation criteria reflect the
requirements stated in the specification. The specification may
need to be clarified if it is found that it is not possible to
develop conditions and criteria that allow for offers to be
adequately evaluated; and
- before
inviting offers for probity and accountability
reasons.
What
should the evaluation plan contain?
A typical evaluation plan may include
information on:
-
conditions for participation (the mandatory conditions that must be
met in order for a submission to be considered);
-
any compliance criteria that is to apply;
-
the evaluation criteria - indicating if weightings will be applied
and if so the relevant weight to be applied to each criteria;
-
the evaluation methodology including, where applicable:
-
initial screening process;
-
compliance checks;
-
scoring technique, including rating scales, the application of
weightings, pro forma scoring sheets and matrices;
-
the process for short-listing offers;
-
supplier presentations;
-
the process for evaluating alternative tenders; and
-
the calculation of value for money.
-
probity and accountability controls, including:
-
safeguarding confidential information;
-
the process to be used for late tenders; and
-
the process to be used if it is necessary to contact tenderers
during the evaluation process to seek clarification etc.
-
the evaluation timetable;
-
evaluation committee member details, including name, position,
department and, if applicable, information on their specific roles
and responsibilities (for example, some members may have been asked
to join the evaluation committee to provide technical or financial
advice); and
-
arrangements for debriefing unsuccessful tenderers.
For probity and accountability reasons, the
conditions for participation, evaluation criteria, weightings and
methodology should not be changed once the Request documentation
has been issued.
Note that much of the information provided in
the evaluation plan can be incorporated into the final evaluation
report.
The following template evaluation plans are
available -
Developing conditions for
participation, evaluation criteria and a methodology
Refer to Evaluation Criteria and Methodology.
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