ABSTRACT
The enquiry process will be modified to suit the choice of different tendering methods as well as the relationship of the client to the owner. The number of steps into which the enquiry process is divided will also depend upon the size and complexity of the work involved, and the procedures of the organization concerned. Enquiries for similar categories of materials or services will follow a similar format. The process needs a firm schedule that is developed by the project procurement manager, in conjunction with the project controls function, as early as possible in the planning process. In the UK the law requires all public sector procurement to follow the European Union's Directives covering procurement. The aim of the Directives is to institute a system that ensures that competition within the European Union is not distorted for public sector projects. Open tendering gives transparency to the procurement process so that the whole process is open to public scrutiny.
