We are tasked to make a small group, provide research report on potential software solution and a powerpoint presentation on week 12.

It is mandatory for these agencies to comply by reporting every expenses, failure to do so may lead to legal consequences. However, not all public agencies are under the BPS directive. Some are exempted like municipalities, local boards, long-term care facilities and boards of health for some reasons like local autonomy or specific provisions.

Lastly, we tackled the benefits of trade agreements, like increasing economic growth, tariffs and trade barrier reduction. and improve ties with others.

The personal responsibilities of a procurement professional don't apply only to public procurement but also to private companies. In some instances, my responsibility as a buyer acting as a principal party that hires an agent to do shipment transportation is the same. We also handle procurement contracts with our clients; however, the formation of clauses is done by the top management, and we have the duty to fulfill the terms.

I have no idea or experience with contract A and B, as we do not submit tender bids or bid security. It is great to have additional knowledge from this module.

Lastly, our group got to study and analyze the case of Acme Building and Construction vs. Newcastle (1992).

We also discussed the different types of competitive bidding documents, such as:

•RFI - solely for information purposes without pricing.

•REOI or RFEI - used to submit bidder's interest in a project

•RFPQ - multi-level of prequalifying suppliers

•RFQ - formal submittal of offer of prequalified suppliers

•RFT - use in bigger projects, such as construction works

•RFP - often complex and heavy detailed proposal

1. Go back to the old process because it will provide an immediate solution to the problem. It is less costly and can be simply implemented.

2. Acquire a new procurement system that meets all the requirements.

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There are a couple of evaluation criteria presented to us that differ based on the scope of work. Along with it are the team rules in order to showcase integrity (open, fair and transparent) during the evaluation period. Lastly, we discussed the distinctive phases of the proposal (pre-proposal, open bid, and post-close)

In my experience, we do not have a separate evaluation team that filters the RFQ. Often, I do a comparative report on offers from a number of suppliers, then get approval from the purchasing manager. After which, I proceed with the issuance of the PO, delivery, and payment.

·         Cover Page

·         Executive Summary

·         Analysis of Situation/Relevant Background Info

·         Research Information

·         Methodology/Analysis of Alternatives

·         Recommendation

·         Conclusion

·         References

Professor Sarah assisted all teams by giving guidance and feedback on our draft report.

Further issues were discussed starting with conflict of interest, scandal, fraud, misuse of public funds, patronage, corruption, bribery, local preference, bid-rigging, and collusion.

Most of these issues are self-explanatory. My takeaway from this module is to abide the code set by your organization. I'll leave this reflection with a quote from Wiliam Penn: "'Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it."

It was a quick presentation, but nerve-wracking. My takeaway is that preparation is the key. We have been building the project from its introduction during Module 3. We believe that we have justified our selection and delivered a clear message to the audience, especially the guest.

I only suggest having an in-class practice presentation a week before so we can polish the delivery and have constructive comments from the class before presenting to a live guest. We thank the effort of our professor and Peter for listening to us, and we thought we could refine our performance more if we had the practice.

While a contract can be a written or spoken agreement, in the case of public procurement, a contract should always be in writing to follow transparency ethics. It is also the same in my experience working in the private sector to mitigate risk, avoid misunderstandings, and resolve disputes. Among the types of contracts, purchase orders are the most common to me; blanket purchase order, service level agreements, and master service agreements have never manifested.

As part of the ISO 9001 process, we also measure our supplier's performance by the KPI metrics of quality, delivery, cost, kaizen and relationship with a hybrid approach of informal and formal evaluation. It enables us to mitigate risk and improve our services to customers. Supplier debriefing happens between management and suppliers to strengthen the business relationship.

We also discussed key aspects of the course, including the significance of being open, fair, and transparent in purchasing.

This course is an eye-opener in the world of public procurement. Activities are realistic and actual practices in the workplace. Thank you very much, Professor Sarah, for building this course and imparting your experiences in the public sector. Today is bittersweet, but overall, it is my honor to be part of your class. I highly appreciate it.