ACRONYMS AND VOCABULARY IN SERVICE CONTRACTING

 

AGA: Accountable Government Act

 

Agency: The term agency is to refer to a department or establishment as well as an agency.

 

DGS: Department of General Services

 

DAS-SAE: Department of Administrative Services – State Accounting Enterprise

 

I/3: Integrated Information for Iowa (Accounting System)

 

Issuing Officer/RFP Coordinator: Agencies may use different titles for the person handling the duties described here; regardless, the person is ultimately responsible for all aspects of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process including: assessing the need for an RFP, issuing the notice of intent to release an RFP, preparing the RFP, issuing the RFP, managing bidders conferences and resource rooms, addressing all potential vendor questions, the evaluation of all responsive proposals, notifying unsuccessful respondents of the decision, awarding and negotiating the contract, and, in most cases, the implementation and management of the contract. The person is the sole contact for all potential vendors and other stakeholders relative to inquires about the RFP. Most important, the must assure that the RFP process, from the initial notice of intent to release the RFP to the awarding and execution of the final contract, proceeds in an orderly, fair, and responsible manner. Not only must this formal competitive selection process be conducted with complete fairness, but the person must work to insure that all stakeholders and the general public perceive the process to be fraught with fairness and even-handedness.

 

ITB: Invitation to Bid. The formal or informal solicitation document used in the competitive bidding process. The ITB methodology requires a written description that completely describes the requirements that would provide a compliant bid response. The award methodology is made solely on the basis of the lowest compliant cost. The ITB process does not permit negotiations.

 

OBJ: Object table on I/3

 

PCQ: Pre-Contract Questionnaire.

 

SAE Control #: Pre-Contract Questionnaire Control # on

 

GAX: General Accounting Expenditure (Payment Document)

 

PRC: Payment Request – Commodity Based (Payment Document)

 

RFI: Request for Information. The document used in informal, uncompetitive solicitation of information, data, comments, or reactions from possible suppliers. This process usually precedes the issuance of a competitive procurement process. Responses to RFI’s are not the basis to select a service provider.

 

RFP: Request for Proposal. The formal solicitation document used in the competitive-sealed proposals process. The RFP methodology requires for the vendor(s) to submit a proposal that addresses the requirements of the RFP. The award methodology requires the evaluation and scoring of multiple factors as well as price, such as approach to scope of work; performance requirements, experience, etc. The RFP process permits negotiations as long as the result of the negotiations remains consistent with the scope and spirit of the RFP.

 

TIN: Taxpayer Identification Number

 

VCUST: Vendor Customer For Departments Table on I/3