Is there a process our organization should follow when it comes to conducting debriefs when requested? What feedback is appropriate to share with the proponents?
Sincerely,
Debrief Relief
Dear Relief,
Proponents may request a debriefing after receipt of a notification of the outcome of the procurement process. It is recommended requests are submitted in writing and made within a certain time frame of the notification.
Many firms find it convenient to host the debriefing via a virtual meeting and keep the time limited as indicated in the beginning / introduction of your meeting.
It is important to keep in mind the intent of the debriefing session is to aid the proponent in presenting a better proposal in subsequent procurement opportunities. Any debriefing provided is not for the purpose of providing an opportunity to challenge the procurement process or its outcome. You can let the proponent know how their proposal compared, and where they may have room for improvement in future submissions.
It is important your evaluation team for the given project provides good comments and feedback within their individual evaluations as it may be part of the feedback agreed upon between the evaluation team and procurement staff to share with the proponent.
Sharing the financial outcome or comparison is not recommended, as the RFP is scored with the technical portion at the forefront as the goal is selecting the firm that will provide the best value for the need of your organization. Another suggestion is using phrases such as “the evaluation team noticed / felt / commented that…” and avoid using “I “or “myself”
Of course, our favourite RFP outcome is awarding to the highest technical scored, lowest priced but that is not always the case, thus the notes from your evaluation team is valuable when conducting a debrief when requested to do so.
Yours Truly,
Erb