It is imperative when seeking a qualified private sector partner that local government accurately document and record the selection process. At the minimum, this documentation and recording of proceedings in the selection process should include:
• the names of all respondents to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) and a Request for Proposal (RFP)
• reasoning behind the elimination of potential partners at each stage of the evaluation process
• minutes of all meetings
• a review of how each of the bidder's submissions was compared and evaluated at the RFQ, RFEI and RFP stages of the process
• all information that was disclosed in response to questions or requests for information from potential partners and how the requests were handled
Maintaining these documents and records is essential as it ensures that the selection process was fair, open and transparent. Not only does this build trust with the private sector for future partnership opportunities, but also confidence from constituents who will be the end users of infrastructure or services provided by the public private partnership.