4.17 Survey results showed almost 10% of respondents were engaged in Competitive Dialogue procurements which have been cancelled or are on hold. Explanations for these cancellations and delays mainly focused on changes in strategic policy or changes to requirements on the part of the contracting authority.
4.18 Just as the decision to enter into a procurement process should not be taken lightly, neither should the decision to cancel or delay a procurement exercise, whether or not dialogue has been completed.
4.19 Within a Competitive Dialogue procurement, once pre-qualification is completed and a substantial level of bid detail has been worked up by each bidder, contracting authorities should recognise they are in discussion with the equivalent of multiple Preferred Bidders, all of whom are likely incurring substantial costs.
4.20 Attendees at the roundtables expressed strong support for linking Competitive Dialogue more formally into the OGC Gateway process and including experienced Competitive Dialogue procurement professionals as Gateway reviewers. It may also be beneficial for projects involving a complex procurement process to consider undergoing an ERG Starting Gate review.1
4.21 This review recognises that the current Gateway processes were established in advance of the introduction of Competitive Dialogue and recommends a refresh of the Gateway stages to more accurately reflect (where required) the implications of using Competitive Dialogue as the procurement route.
4.22 These independent scrutiny processes should go a long way to ensuring projects are sufficiently prepared to remain on schedule, have ongoing senior stakeholder buy in and remain in line with policy.
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1 http://www.ogc.gov.uk/programmes___projects_starting_gate.asp