Commenting on the Bid Specification

Clients may invite comments on the bid specification. Why? They are not fishing for compliments or platitudes, though that is often the only response they get. The real purpose is to give bidders an opportunity to do several things:

• make practical observations that tell the client they have done the job before and know the logistic essentials for achieving the contract successfully;

• put forward ideas that reflect their experience and perhaps point to approaches that can help meet the client's objectives more efficiently;

• indicate any points in the scope of work, schedule of deliverables or other items that have had a particularly formative influence on their response;

• declare any assumptions that have had to be made about points not specified by the client.

In some instances the client may appear to have misunderstood the technical demands of the contract, the time and other resources needed to undertake the work successfully or the results that the contract can achieve. The bid specification may contain inconsistencies; the data offered to bidders may appear dubious; there may be a bias toward a particular outcome or misplaced emphasis on the use of certain methods and technologies. How should you deal with this type of situation?

The thing not to do is to comment in a critical or patronizing way: you have nothing to gain by implying that the bid specification is unclear or inadequate. It is better to express your reservations as matters that you would like to have the opportunity to discuss further at the stage of negotiating and agreeing a contract. Take a diplomatic and tactful approach. And don't feel you are obliged to comment. It is worth doing so only if you have points to communicate that can help reinforce your bid.

You have to rely on your professional judgement since some clients may not appreciate having their ideas questioned in any form. Others may be worried about the risk of losing ownership of the project; so you must avoid giving the impression that it is you rather than the client who knows what is best for them. If you have the option to put forward a variant solution and decide to do so, it has to be one that you believe offers the best solution for the client's needs - which does not necessarily mean the one that will make life easiest either for the client or for yourself.

Unless the client requires comments to form a distinct section of the bid, there is no need to concentrate them under a separate heading. If there is a case for considering a different way of going about a task or activity, the best place to argue this case is in the main body of the bid.