Presented By Melissa Lee Assistant Purchasing Agent Tarrant County Specifications Presented By Melissa Lee Assistant Purchasing Agent Tarrant County

Definition NIGP: A precise description of physical characteristics, quality. Or desired outcomes of a commodity to be procured, which supplier must be able to produce or deliver to be considered for award of a contract

PURPOSE The purpose of any specification is to provide clear guidelines from which to purchase, and to provide vendors with firm criteria of a minimum standard acceptable for goods and services. A well written specification has four characteristics: It establishes the minimum acceptability of the goods or services; It promotes competitive bidding; It contains provisions for reasonable tests and inspections for acceptability of the goods or services; and It provides for an equitable award to the lowest and best bid from a responsible bidder.

Types of Specifications Design Performance Brand Name or equal Industry Standard

DESIGN A detailed description of goods or services, including such things as details of construction or production, dimensions, chemical composition, physical properties, materials, ingredients, and all other details needed for the provider to produce goods and services of minimum acceptability. Design specifications are usually required for construction projects, certain produced goods, and for many other services.

Design – advantages and disadvantages Provide the end user with increased certainty about the commodity Allow for objective evaluation of offers Award based on compliance with the specification and made to the lowest responsive offer and responsible offeror Disadvantages Prescriptive, may limit competition Increased risk to entity Loss of innovation Expensive and time consuming to prepare, may require the services of Engineers, Architects, and other technical resources, as well as multiple levels of review and approval Implementation may be expensive and time consuming. The entity is responsible for inspections, testing processes and associated cost, as well as prototype cost

Performance Where the goods or services are described in terms of required performance. They may include such details as required power, strength of material, test methods and standards of acceptability, and recommended practices. This type of specification is most used often for capital equipment.

Performance – advantages and disadvantages Provides opportunity for innovation: allows offers to put forth unique solution to defined needs Allows end user to benefit from the latest products and technologies Corrective action may be applied if service levels are not achieved Disadvantages Well-defined performance metrics are needed to ensure that the specified performance will achieve the desired outcome Require reliable, practical, economical test of performance Evaluations are subjective and require additional time and effort to complete

Brand Name or Equal List of goods or services by brand name, model, and identifying specifics. Produces equal to characteristics of the named brand are specified as acceptable. Usually the composition of a brand name good and service is provided through labeling, but broader tolerances and less consistency from item to item may be expected as compared with standard goods. Other manufacturers may provide a nearly identical good under their own brand name.

Brand Name or equal - advantages and disadvantages Aid in communicating the desired quality and performance levels to potential offerors Reduce the time required to develop the specifications Disadvantages Considered to be restrictive Require justification May deter competition, which may increase price Must define criteria to determine responsiveness to “or equivalent” Risk of litigation by brand name manufacturer Brand name must be well known throughout a particular industry

Industry Standard This is one of the simplest specifications available. All goods made to industry standard are identical, regardless of manufacturer, and will result in acquisition of goods of uniform quality. An example is the UIL standard for electrical products.

Steps to Writing Specifications Meet with the end users Collective knowledge, skills, & resources Conduct thorough research Seek external assistance Choose the type of specification Complete specifications have minimal contract management problems, less opportunity for protest, equity competition

Writing Specifications Explain, clarify, and define Identify minimum requirements Indicate which requirements are mandatory Identify the supplier's obligations Categorize Organize Proprietary Specifications: Limits competition; Increase cost Over-specifying: Will pay for quality or functions not really needed Effective enforcement of a specification is necessary for it to be useful - Test and return or replace if not correct

Things to Avoid Multiple requirements Escape clauses Mixing different types of requirements Vague terms Assumptions Over or under specifying

Sample Specifications #1 Design or Technical Pen, Ballpoint, Nonrefillable, Plastic with Plastic Cap Pen shall have white round polystyrene plastic barrel ¼ inch diameter. Length of pen, including cap, shall not exceed 5/34 inches. Caps shall be black polystyrene plastic and have clip with medium length of ¾ inch. Ink shall be black. Ink cartridge shall have tungsten carbide ball in stainless steel tip. Point shall not exceed .3 mm fine point. Pen shall be lightweight and not exceed 1/32 ounce.

Sample Specifications #2 Performance Specification Pen, Ballpoint, Nonrefillable, Plastic with Clip Cap, Black Ink, Fine Point Pen shall provide precise writing, no skipping or smearing. Ink shall not penetrate through paper. Tip shall write clearly through carbons. Minimum 500 degrees Fahrenheit heat- resistant.

Sample Specifications #3 Brand Name or Equal Specification Pen, ballpoint Bic #123729, Papermate #412684, Sanford #132340, Pilot #239871 or Equal. Pen shall have the following characteristics: Nonrefillable Plastic with Clip Cap Black Ink with minimum 500 degrees Fahrenheit heat-resistant Fine Point

Tips Create a check list Communication is key Plan ahead, don’t rush Well written specifications minimize discrepancies, are easier to evaluate, lowers cost and risk

Thank You! Questions?