Chapter 24 - Requests for Proposals and Competitive Negotiations

24.3.3 Develop the RFP time table

The RFP time table is the project plan for completing the sourcing phase of the project. This timeline is often a subset of a larger project initiative. The SPOC will work with the project's SMEs to formally establish deliverable dates for the PPT. This will take into consideration the time and availability of resources required to:

• Develop, review and finalize the RFP package and evaluation matrix
• Issue the RFP
• Evaluate the responses
• Test the product and/or conduct site visits
• Negotiate
• Have an ECOS assessment conducted, if applicable
• Obtain approval of final contract from Office of Attorney General (OAG), if applicable
• Review and obtain final CIO approval to award, if applicable

The SMEs and other team resources will provide input into the sourcing process timeline which meets the business owner's expectations. This time table acts as a completed Procurement Project Timeline available for internal distribution to the PPT. The overall project documentation should be updated to reflect this time table. The availability of the business owner, SMEs, SPOC and other resources should be verified and scheduled as appropriate. It is important to manage the resource risk factor by identifying all team members and documenting their roles and responsibilities before going any further. See Appendix F, VITA SCM RFP Timeline Template (provided as an example).