ABSTRACT
The request for proposals (RFP) process provides for best-value procurement and offers the procurement professional the opportunity to effectively work within a team and make a significant contribution to the entity. Although the process is more complex and time-consuming than an invitation for bids or an invitation to tender, it provides the entity an opportunity to award contracts using criteria other than price. At the beginning of the project and throughout the RFP process, procurement professionals should keep in mind that the process includes confirming the successful proposer, debriefing proposers, and completing the procurement file. To successfully bring the process to completion, procurement professionals should maintain complete and accurate documentation of all processes, especially proposal evaluation materials. Procurement professionals must strive to better understand the implications of each decision and how they impact each proposer and award and how such decisions will be viewed under public scrutiny. The entity should manage each procurement to best serve its clients and to help improve its relationship with the supplier community.
