IUA/IOT National Book Tender 2015 : the Customer Perspective Margaret Flood Keeper, Collection Management, National Procurement: The opportunities and challenges for Irish libraries, University of Limerick, 8 November 2017

Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this presentation and on the following slides are solely those of the presenter and not necessarily those of the Library of Trinity College Dublin .

Setting the Scene The 2015 HE National Book Tender was one of the first educational frameworks tendered for. Educational Procurement Services (EPS) led the Tender as Sectoral Partners The Contracting Authorities were the IUA Libraries (7), IOT Libraries (14) and Teagasc Open competition

Framework Agreement for the Provision of Library Goods Multi- member Framework Agreement Maximum of 30 Framework member appointed Maximum of 5 Framework members per lot for each of the 5 lots Duration 2 years with the option 2 x12 month extensions to max of 4 years Exception: eBooks (Lot 2) – 1 year with option of 3x12 month extension

Issues – Preparation & Evaluation of the Tender Multiple EPS Procurement Officers worked on Tender Unavailability of OGP templates Library representatives’ focus was on the definition of requirements (service, discounts etc.) The Evaluation Group was large – tension between meeting the needs of individual institutions and defining requirements at national level Concern among Evaluation Group about the position of Irish suppliers Direct engagement with suppliers through presentations, site visits was not part of the process

Framework Agreement for the Provision of Library Goods Lot 1 – English Language Monographs Lot 2 – eBooks (including e-DDA) Lot 3 – Print Demand Driven Acquisitions Lot 4 - Irish published materials, Irish Language Materials and Publications of Irish Interest Lot 5 – Foreign language Lot 6 – Second Hand Material

What Worked Well? Despite the challenges, including the need to divert attention away from the Book Tender to address serials supply following the collapse of SWETS, the procurement process was completed in 11 months

Implementation Challenges Post-award support is not part of the OGP model The Call-Off process was new to staff in the participating Libraries. Training and guidance on Call-Off methodology was not provided Basic data necessary to complete Framework agreements and contracts was not provided Delays to formal signing of contractual documents due to concerns of legal advisors at institutional level

Ongoing Issues with Framework National oversight of the Framework is not in place No provisions at national level to address poor performance by suppliers. No Service Level Agreements have been drawn up No agreed KPIs Monitoring of business stability and business continuity of suppliers is not in place

Lessons Learned: The of importance of post-Contract Award Management of the Framework Recommendation Establish a single procurement authority to act on behalf of all the Consortium members, with responsibility for management of the Framework In order to: Carry out the legal work managing all tender risk and most contract risk Complete and sign Framework Agreements with suppliers? Monitor performance of Framework Data gathering Establish a clear path of escalation and sanctions for suppliers who fail to perform adequately Coordinate a Consortium Standing Group

Ongoing Stakeholder Engagement Recommendation Establish a Consortium Standing Group, working with the Procurement Partner/Contracting Authority To carry out advance research on the market to inform specification of requirements To monitor the operational side of the Framework and Contracts To be a point of contact, communication & support to HE Libraries To build understanding, expertise and experience in procurement procedures, contracts and licensing

Lessons for Next Generation of Frameworks: Customer involvement Review outcomes of previous Framework Requirements gathering in advance of Tender Embed supplier presentations and site visits into the tender evaluation process Due diligence carried out to ensure that suppliers can deliver requirements of the RFT Legal/contractual sections of Tender documentation be reviewed and agreed in advance of publication Provide post-award support to the stakeholders Ensure effective post award contract management in place