{"id":24365,"date":"2022-09-29T22:34:43","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T03:34:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev?p=24365"},"modified":"2022-09-29T06:38:37","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T11:38:37","slug":"nptabs-evaluation-is-unintelligible-and-far-from-being-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/nptabs-evaluation-is-unintelligible-and-far-from-being-fair\/","title":{"rendered":"NPTAB\u2019s evaluation is unintelligible and far from being fair"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guyana<\/p>\n

This letter follows up your editorial of Sept. 5 last, \u201cNPTAB response\u201d in relation to the tender for construction of North Ruimveldt Secondary School, and I wish to associate myself with your comment that NPTAB must be commended for the response as a move towards \u201cenlightened governance\u201d.\u00a0 However as you hinted, the response itself is non-responsive. The Procurement Act which creates NPTAB, decrees core principles of promoting fairness and transparency in procurement.\u00a0 International practice requires that each bidder is treated equally; this is entirely consistent with \u201cfairness\u201d in the Guyanese legislation.<\/p>\n

However special mention must be made of bid responsiveness, which is not dealt with in the Procurement Act, and so may cause complications, though this need not be so.\u00a0 This responsiveness refers to deliverables, being documentation NPTAB expressly requires of all intended bidders.\u00a0 The responsiveness test is best seen by readers as a procedural pre-evaluation review of submitted bids to screen out bids which do not have the deliverables required, carried out to facilitate the speedy execution of substantial evaluation of bids, when started. The process is legitimate, providing it satisfies the mentioned core principles at all times. The responsiveness test should be done on a fail or pass basis, with \u2018failed bids\u2019 being set aside and taking no part in the substantive evaluation, whatsoever.<\/p>\n

The evaluation of bids is the aspect dealt with by the legislation, whereby NPTAB may use only evaluation criteria outlined in the bid document.\u00a0 Since 2000 \u2018using evaluation criteria\u2019 has been clarified in Commonwealth jurisdictions, in a landmark case just prior, to include, either stating the criteria with given weights, or arranging criteria in order of importance which would have attuned weights given later; failure to do either in the bid document means that the bid must be evaluated on criterion of price alone.\u00a0 Hence SN editorial board and readers alike must not accept the argument that the responsiveness of bids is predicated on whether bids are compliant with all of the evaluation criteria.<\/p>\n

Responsiveness of bids must be differentiated from evaluation of the same \u2013 and this is not just splitting hairs. Responsiveness must be founded on NPTAB expressly required documentation from bidders and is a preliminary stage of the overall process; evaluation is founded on the relevant criteria outlined, and must culminate in a ranking from which the successful bid is determined.\u00a0 \u201cRequirements\u201d and \u201ccriteria\u201d acquire special meanings in relation to responsiveness and evaluation, respectively. To re-label criteria as requirements, then use these to fail any particular bid at the responsive test stage is a charade, and undermines the entire evaluation process. For example, to re-label criteria in order to require a bidder to deliver documentation pertaining to if that bidder abandoned a project or had one terminated at any time, when either state of affairs connotes wrong-doing on the bidder\u2019s part is irrational, might be a violation of one\u2019s Constitutional rights and must be perplexing to the bidder. Plus, NPTAB is not competent, in my respectful view, to delve into such a matter.<\/p>\n

Even if NPTAB is in possession of a final order of an arbitrator, tribunal or court, the bidder is entitled to a hearing before being placed on a watch list, for an appeal may or may not be pending.\u00a0 For this reason, on this particular point, I diverge from SN editorial\u2019s position that NPTAB can unearth information on the performance of Kares Engineering Inc., on Kato School. Similarly, re-labelling criteria to require from a bidder documentation of ownership of key equipment, and using such documents, or lack thereof, to fail the bidder at any stage is a charade; also, the requirement does not treat bidders equally since it discriminates against a bidder who plans to hire key plant as required, rather than commit to capital expenditure.\u00a0 Nor does the rampant mis-evaluation end here: assuming that all the criteria as indicated by NPTAB are valid as such, then the established wisdom is that when all non-price criteria are weighted the total must not out-weigh the criterion of price in an irrational manner.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, in a 2011 bidder\u2019s legal challenge overseas (one needs to rely on the Commonwealth jurisdictions due to the near-absence of bidders\u2019 challenges in Guyana; but these are at least, persuasive) a contract award using an assessment where 40% of the marks were allocated to non-price criteria was found to be unlawful as the allocation could not be justified; meaning that 60% allocated to price was too low, in that particular case.\u00a0 NPTAB response is silent on this aspect. Based on all the foregoing, the NPTAB evaluation is unintelligible.\u00a0 Far from being fair, open and meting out equal treatment, the pointed exclusion of the two lowest bids seems to be based on a hidden agenda.<\/p>\n

\u00a0more<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

image: Pexels-dids-5499557<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guyana This letter follows up your editorial of Sept. 5 last, \u201cNPTAB response\u201d in relation to the tender for construction of North Ruimveldt Secondary School, and I wish to associate…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1091,"featured_media":24353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[250],"tags":[128,190,116,125],"class_list":["post-24365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","tag-bids","tag-construction","tag-guyana","tag-public-procurement"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-dids-5499557-scaled-e1664470780222.jpg?fit=1024%2C616&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6u9Qa-6kZ","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36667,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/guyana-news-ppc-rejected-complaint-over-contract-for-fort-wellington-school-extension\/","url_meta":{"origin":24365,"position":0},"title":"Guyana News PPC rejected complaint over contract for Fort Wellington school extension","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"October 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) last December rejected a complaint by a bidder over the award of a project for the extension of the Fort Wellington Secondary School but the procuring entity, the Ministry of Local Government never provided any of the requested information for the investigation. Bickram Motiram\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Business-Office-Contract-Agreement-Deal-rawpixel-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Business-Office-Contract-Agreement-Deal-rawpixel-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Business-Office-Contract-Agreement-Deal-rawpixel-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Business-Office-Contract-Agreement-Deal-rawpixel-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35260,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/jagdeo-hints-at-countrywide-prequalification-system-for-procurement\/","url_meta":{"origin":24365,"position":1},"title":"Jagdeo hints at countrywide prequalification system for procurement","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"July 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana \u00a0 Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday stated that the strengthening of the procurement system will be continuing in the form of a countrywide prequalifying system allowing the Cabinet to have a full picture about companies bidding for projects. Homing in on the procurement process at his weekly press conference\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/street-building-construction-industry-Life-Of-Pix-Pexels-e1680228669939.jpg?fit=1023%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/street-building-construction-industry-Life-Of-Pix-Pexels-e1680228669939.jpg?fit=1023%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/street-building-construction-industry-Life-Of-Pix-Pexels-e1680228669939.jpg?fit=1023%2C682&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/street-building-construction-industry-Life-Of-Pix-Pexels-e1680228669939.jpg?fit=1023%2C682&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36654,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/nptab-says-working-to-address-criticisms-by-procurement-commission\/","url_meta":{"origin":24365,"position":2},"title":"NPTAB says working to address criticisms by procurement commission","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"October 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana Chairman of the NPTAB, Tarachand Balgobind said on Wednesday that he has acknowledged the criticisms of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) in its summary of findings regarding the tender board\u2019s timely submission of documents and is working to acquire a robust \u201celectronic records\u201d management system. 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On August 24, the $566.9 million contract was signed by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-pixabay-256417-scaled-e1664471205531.jpg?fit=1023%2C570&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-pixabay-256417-scaled-e1664471205531.jpg?fit=1023%2C570&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-pixabay-256417-scaled-e1664471205531.jpg?fit=1023%2C570&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/pexels-pixabay-256417-scaled-e1664471205531.jpg?fit=1023%2C570&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 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hands tied over Kares contract \u2013 source","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"September 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana As questions continue to swirl in relation to the award of the $566.9 million contract to Kares Engineering Inc for the reconstruction of the North Ruimveldt Secondary School, a source at the national tender board told Stabroek News yesterday that despite Kares\u2019 disastrous work on the Kato Secondary School,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In 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