Specification tips
Developing a specification is sometimes complex and requires expertise. Here are some tips to assist you:
- Always keep the objective in mind. What do you want from the good or service?
- Consult with the users of the good or service to determine their needs and find out what is important to them.
- Research the market to fully understand the type of good or service you are looking to procure.
- Draw on the experience of others and seek outside assistance. This may be provided by other agencies or an impartial expert such as a consultant.
- Define requirements simply, in terms of function and performance. A complex specification is impractical.
- Do not go overboard when defining quality requirements. Only specify the minimum requirements that suit your needs.
- Ask a colleague who is unfamiliar with the requirement to evaluate the specification in terms of readability, simplicity, clarity and logic.