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Keeping probity in a comparable cleaning quote process in Sutherland

A quote process that produces a good decision but cannot be explained afterwards has only half done its job. Probity is not bureaucracy; it is the set of habits that make a decision defensible to someone who was not in the room. This page covers those habits for a Sutherland premises.

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In short

Probity in a Sutherland cleaning quote process means the same information to every bidder, a single point of contact, criteria set before responses are received, declared interests, and a written record of how the decision was reached. None of it is onerous and all of it protects whoever has to explain the outcome later.

Clean Best participates in structured processes and responds through the nominated contact rather than approaching decision makers separately. The written proposal states inclusions, exclusions, frequency and price against the issued scope, so an evaluation can be documented against a common basis without needing clarification from each bidder.

One channel, one version of the truth

Name a single contact for the process and require all communication to go through them. It sounds restrictive and it is the most effective probity measure available, because it prevents the situation where one bidder has a useful conversation with a building manager and another does not. Every question and every answer then exists in one place and can be circulated. It also gives whoever holds the process a clear position when a bidder approaches someone else in the organisation.

Ask bidders not to approach decision makers directly during the process, and say so in the documents. Most will comply readily. The value is not in catching anyone out but in removing the perception of advantage, which is what an unsuccessful bidder or an internal reviewer will focus on if the outcome is ever questioned. Stating the expectation in the documents is usually enough; very few bidders test it once it has been written down.

Criteria and records set before, not after

Write the evaluation criteria and their relative importance into the documents you issue. Once responses arrive it is very difficult to set criteria without being influenced by what you have read, even with the best intentions. Criteria fixed in advance also tell bidders what to address, which improves the quality of what you receive as well as the defensibility of what you decide. Publishing the weighting alongside the criteria is worth doing where you have one.

Keep a short written record of the evaluation: who assessed, against what criteria, what each response scored or was judged on, and why the recommendation was made. A page is enough for most processes. The record matters most when the decision is not the cheapest option, which is exactly when someone is most likely to ask how it was reached. Keeping it with the awarded scope means the whole decision sits in one file at the next renewal.

Interests, incumbents and confidentiality

Ask everyone involved in the evaluation to declare any relationship with the bidders, including past employment and personal connections. A declared relationship rarely needs to disqualify anyone; an undeclared one discovered later is a genuine problem regardless of whether it influenced anything. Recording the declarations takes two minutes and closes the question permanently. Most people declare something minor, and noting it is invariably easier than explaining an omission afterwards.

Treat pricing and commercial information as confidential between the process and the bidder. Do not disclose one bidder's price to another, and do not invite a preferred provider to improve on a figure they have been shown. Where a further round is genuinely warranted, run it for all shortlisted bidders on the same terms and record why it was held. Recording the reason for a further round matters as much as running it evenly.

Probity practices for a Sutherland quote process

  • Name a single contact for all communication
  • Circulate every question and answer to all bidders
  • Set evaluation criteria before responses are received
  • Record declared interests from everyone evaluating
  • Keep a written record of how the decision was reached
  • Never disclose one bidder's price to another
Clean Best supervisor reviewing strata cleaning tasks in Parramatta NSW

Working in Sutherland and the Sutherland Shire

Sutherland in the Sutherland Shire holds government, professional services, retail and education premises, which places a number of organisations there under formal procurement expectations or internal governance requirements. Even where no policy applies, the same practices produce better-considered offers and a decision that can be explained a year later. Clean Best services Sutherland from 54 Columbia Rd, Seven Hills, responds through the nominated process contact and prices against the issued scope so the evaluation rests on a common basis. Responses go through the nominated contact rather than to individual decision makers.

Questions about Sutherland

Why should all communication go through one contact?

Because it prevents one bidder gaining information another does not have, and it puts every question and answer in a single place that can be circulated. It is the most effective probity measure available and the least burdensome. The value lies in removing the perception of advantage rather than in catching anyone out. State the expectation in the documents so nobody has to enforce it later.

Should evaluation criteria be published to bidders?

Yes, in the documents you issue. Criteria set after responses arrive are almost impossible to keep free of influence from what you have already read. Publishing them also tells bidders what to address, which improves the quality of the responses. Include the relative weighting where you have one. Bidders who know what will be assessed generally address it properly.

What should the decision record contain?

Who evaluated, against what criteria, how each response was assessed and why the recommendation was made. One page is sufficient for most processes. It matters most when the chosen provider is not the cheapest, which is precisely the situation where someone will later ask how the conclusion was reached. Keeping it with the awarded scope puts the whole decision in one file.

Do declared relationships disqualify an evaluator?

Rarely. Most declared relationships are managed simply by noting them, or by having that person step back from a particular assessment. The problem is an undeclared relationship discovered afterwards, which raises questions about the whole process regardless of whether it actually influenced anything. Recording declarations takes minutes. Most declarations are minor and are managed simply by noting them.

Is it acceptable to ask a bidder to improve their price?

Only if the same opportunity is given to all shortlisted bidders on the same terms, and the reason is recorded. Inviting one provider to better a figure they have been shown is not a negotiation, and it will not survive scrutiny. Where a further round is warranted, run it openly for everyone still in contention.

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