The Evaluation Committee shall conduct a technical evaluation by comparing each bid to the technical requirements of the description of goods, works or services in the bidding document so as to determine the responsiveness of bids.
The technical evaluation shall determine whether bids are, or are not, substantially responsive to the technical standard defined in the bidding document. The factors taken into account shall be those indicated in the bidding document only and may include:
- Conformity to specifications, standards, drawings or terms of reference, without material deviation or reservation;
- Satisfactory understanding of an assignment, as demonstrated by any methodology or design; or
- Suitable staffing, equipment and machinery capacity or arrangements for supervision or management of an assignment;
- Any other criteria that has a direct relationship with the performance of the contract and the delivery of the procurement within a specified time frame.
The evaluation shall not take into account any requirements which were not included in the bidding documents. Any material deviations should result in rejection of the bid and such bids should not be subject to financial evaluation and comparison. Non – material deviations may be allowed and corrected.
Alternative bids shall not be permitted, except where specifically indicated in the bidding documents. The Procuring Entity may permit alternative bids, where it is anticipated that bidders may be able to offer goods, works or services which do not conform precisely to the description of requirements, but which meet the objectives of the procurement in an alternative manner. Alternative bids may be permitted in areas of rapidly changing technology or where a need could be satisfied in a number of different ways and the Procuring Entity wishes to encourage cost efficient and technically innovative approaches by bidders.
Where alternative bids are permitted, the bidding documents should state that the alternative bid does not need to conform precisely to the description of requirements, but must:
- Meet the objectives or performance requirements prescribed in the description of requirements;
- Be substantially within any delivery or completion schedule, budget and other performance parameters stated in the bidding documents; and
- Clearly state the benefits of the alternative bid over any solution which conforms precisely to the description of requirements, in terms of technical performance, price, operating costs or any other benefit.
Alternative bids should be evaluated in the same way as any other bids, except that the technical evaluation should only take into account the objectives or performance requirements prescribed in the description of requirements. Where a bid is substantially responsive, the Procuring Entity may waive, clarify or correct any non-conformity, error or omission, which does not constitute a material deviation. The nonconformity, error or omission shall be quantified in monetary terms to the extent possible and
taken into account in the financial evaluation and comparison of bids.
The Procuring Entity may seek clarification from a bidder of its bid. The request and the clarification should always be exchanged in writing. The request for clarification shall not seek and the bidder shall not be permitted to:
- Change the substance of the bid; or
- Substantially alter anything which is a deciding factor in the evaluation.
Any clarification received, which is not in response to a request from the Procuring Entity, cannot be taken into account. The failure of a bidder to reply to a request for clarification may result in the disqualification of its bid.
