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1. Who is responsible for procurement/purchasing at the Town of Cochrane?

The Town of Cochrane must comply with Alberta’s Municipal Government Act (MGA) and federal regulatory and business requirements, as well as our own Purchasing Policy in order to enter into any contract for goods or services. Departments that purchase good or services from outside providers manage their own procurement process, with the support of others in the Town.

The framework for procurement and contracts is directly related to Cochrane’s commitment to manage Town finances and resources responsibly and report on them to the community.

2. Why does it feel like there so many rules for procurement?

As a public entity entrusted with public funds, policies and other regulations are in place to ensure that:
• There is fair opportunity to bid on a Town of Cochrane project.
• Procurement and project agreements are handled as efficiently as possible.
• We hire and acquire services and goods in an open and transparent manner.
• All vendors from anywhere in the Town, region, province or country, when selected, receive access to information on procurement opportunities, processes and results.
• The risks associated with procurement practices and decisions are managed through appropriate controls and monitoring.

3. How does the Town of Cochrane keep proposal bidding fair?

We treat all bidders and vendors fairly and openly. We do so by following these guidelines:
• We provide a single source of contact for each bid to provide direct answers for each inquiry and to keep communication simple and consistent. In some cases, we post all questions and answers so that all interested parties have the same information.
• We only accept questions in writing and reply in writing (usually email) to maintain an accurate, chronological and e-discoverable record. If a bidder asks a verbal question, they are directed to send the inquiry via email. Text messages are not considered.
• If one vendor has done any previous work for the Town of Cochrane, the Town will disclose that an incumbent contractor exists and may bid. This is sometimes the case in the process of a vendor review, which will allow an incumbent to compete for a renewed contract with new bidders. This inclusion will never guarantee that an incumbent will receive the contract again, so participation by new bidders is always welcome.
• We ensure that all our RFP documentation is drafted in general terms, enough to satisfy the project specifications and Scope of Work (SOW), but not to the point of only appealing to the capabilities and resources of one particular bidder/vendor.

4. What happens if a vendor feels the bidding/decision process was unfair?

Vendors who feel they have not been treated fairly must communicate their concerns in writing to the contact person for the bid. The correspondence must include:
• specifics of their complaint or concern
• section of the RFP document it pertains to
• rationale/evidence to support their complaint or concern.

Complaints/concerns and physical copies of the supporting documentation must be submitted to the contact person for the bid. If the concern cannot be resolved at the department level, the complaint may be referred to our legal and/or process department for review. If a meeting is required, or if litigation follows, the process will follow its due course.

5. What are some of the common reasons a bid is rejected?

Most bids meet the requirements of an RPF, but some lack certain components or information, which may lead to rejection. It is important to follow every step and include every specific item in the requirements.

Common reasons an RFP bid is rejected:
1. Lack of evidence of your experience relating to the project.
2. Too verbose (unnecessary padding) of the document.
3. Lack of required documentation.
4. Financial errors in budget/financial documents.
5. Lack of appropriate project planning in the estimated time/cost.
6. Proofreading/spelling mistakes.
7. Late submission.
8. Lack of signature approving that the bid comes from your office.

Common reasons a bid is accepted:
1. Full evidence of experience, capabilities and resources.
2. Price (competitive, fair and market-base )
3. Appropriate project planning in the estimated time/cost.
4. All required documentation provided.

6. What information is typically included in a Town Request for Proposal (RFP)?

The scope and detail included in a Town of Cochrane RFP reflects the risk, complexity and significance of the project or service/goods. It describes the project, specific requirements, and the criteria that will be used to evaluate submissions.

The RFP includes detailed information, including but not limited to:
• Department managing the project
• Location of the project/service/goods required
• Restrictions, constraints on the SOW
• Required deliverables, standards and outcomes
• Risk management details and success factors
• Performance and evaluation standards/criteria
• Applicable municipal, provincial, federal legislation or guidelines
• Terms and conditions of the bidding process
• Public reporting (post-award) and filing requirements

7. How are bids evaluated?

Bids usually go through two evaluation steps:
1. Checklist of required inclusions requested in RFP.
2. Evaluation against weighted criteria.

Weighted criteria can usually be broken down into key areas: planning/execution approach, capabilities/experience and price; the RFP usually lists the weighted criteria, including relative weightings. The evaluation criteria will be different for each project, so do not rely on past RFPs to determine your potential for success.

Final award is determined on final scores in both steps of the evaluation process.

8. How are submissions evaluated to ensure fairness?

The Town of Cochrane treats all proponents fairly. We review submissions in accordance with criteria established in the RFP document. We do not consider or discuss additional information about the vendors that is not in the submissions.

Our evaluation takes into account your company’s best project approach, capabilities and resources, pricing, scheduling, and supplemental documentation. The winner who receives the contract will have met the right balance of all these aspects, measured against the weight of each part of the RFP requirements and the evaluation criteria.