Selecting the supplier

3.23  The purchasers perceived the importance for such a large and complex project of selecting a strong supplier capable of delivering a working system. The evaluation of proposals was run by the joint Procurement Authority, staffed by Department of Social Security and Post Office personnel and was supported by contracted legal, procurement, project management and IT specialists. The Authority was controlled by a single Director who reported to a Project Board, which met at least monthly to oversee and advise on the procurement process, and act as the committee for the shortlisting and evaluation of suppliers' proposals. The main streams of work the authority undertook to manage the risks of supplier selection were:

■  the evaluation of five bidders' responses to the Statement of Service Requirement, against a range of criteria, as a basis for selecting a shortlist of three bidders, followed by;

■  examination of system demonstrations mounted by the three shortlisted firms; and

■  formal evaluation of priced bids from the shortlisted suppliers against technical, managerial and commercial criteria.