Demolition/Abatement Constracts (Folders 1-2)

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Chapter 4: Methods of Sclection http://w~u~s•.fta.dotgov/fta/IibrarviadminBPPman/scct 40.htm $ l 5,000, the procedures of this statute relating to competitive sealed bids or competitive sealed proposals shall be used." Contracts awarded at the lower of this state level or $100,000 are considered small purchases for the purposes of this discussion and the provisions of FTA Circular 4220.1 D. If your state and local threshold for small purchases is substantially less than $100,000, you may wish to recommend that these requirements be changed to conform more closely to Federal requirements. Alternatively, if the state's requirements above its small purchase threshold are substantially less cumbersome than Federal requirements, you may wish to create an intermediate procedure for small Federal / competitive state purchases. For example, if your state required that in all construction and equipment contracts over $10,000, competition be obtained by a simple posting and solicitation without advertisements, you could establish a procedure for bids between $10,000 and $100,000 that avoided the time and expense of advertising the procurement and relied on direct solicitation to known sources. Initiatin~ a Small Purchase - What documentation do you use to initiate this procurement method? Most transit properties use some sort of requisition that is typically prepared by the unit that has the requirement (your customer) which details how many widgets are required and by when. Many times, this same document will include estimated pricing and this estimate will frequently dictate which method of procurement you will use. Obviously, if the requirement is for $500,000 worth of widgets, you will use a competitive process (IFB or RFP). Your procedures can encourage your customers to attach a draft specification or scope of work to the requisition, particularly if the small purchase method is to be used; otherwise you may assist your customer (See Chapter 3(future sectionJ, "Specifications") Should you establish a practice of rot~ting buyers that are involved in using these procedures from one commodity to another? In rare ins#ances, it has been found that a buyer gets "too close" to a particular vendor and, because of the informality of the procedures, that vendor starts to receive most of the purchase orders for those requirernents. Purchase order records can be reviewed (perhaps through your agency's accounts payable records) to see if one vendor has received an abnormal amount of purchase orders. On the other hand, a buyer who is familiar with the supply industry characteristics of a commodity, such as the manufacturing cycle, lead time, distribution practices, etc., can bring both efficiency and more optimal buying to the work. Solicitation - What level of competition is required? Stated another w~y, how many individuals or firms must be solicited? It is not unusual to have a requirement that three firms be solicited up to an expected contract value of $5,000 and between $5,000 and $15,000 (the hypothetical maximum), five firms would be solicited. If your source fist has more firms than you are r~uired to notify, do you have a procedure to rotate sources? For exampl~ on one procurement you will contact firms 1 through 5 and on the next one, you will contact firms 5-~ 0. It is not unusual to have procedures that require you to rotate your sources in this manner. By doing so, you are broadening your base of competitors and enhancing your competition. Is the small purchase for architectural or engineering (A&E) services? If so, A&E services may be procured using small purchase procedures. However, the language in FTA Circular 4220.1D that requires the procurement of A&E services using th~ Brooks Act procedures also applies.16 The selection must be based initially on qualifications; price may be considered only for the most qualified offeror. You may proceed to the next most qualified if you cannot agree on a fair and reasonable price. l~ What tevel of documentation is required to solicit prices for smali purchase non-Brooks procurements? Can you use oral descriptions only, up to a certain dollar value? Are written descriptions (specifications or statements of work} required above a certain level? It is not unusual for small purchase procedures to allow oral descriptions, (particularly if the procurement is decentralized or the buyer has of 45 O 1/ 10/97 13:0922