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Washington County Board of Education

Bid Procedures

Responsibility of the Sponsor Director

The sponsoring director is responsible for the following:

2. With the assistance of the Supervisor of the Purchasing develop a list of potential bidders. If the incumbent vendor or any other vendor with known interest in the bid is excluded from this list, the director must document the reason in writing and present the rationale to the Procurement Review Committee.

3. Submit the completed RFP and list of potential bidders to Purchasing.

1. Complete the RFP package by attaching the standard "boiler plate" instructions to bidders language.

2. Review the bids and the list of bidders for clarity and consistency with the Annotated Code and the Purchasing Policy.

3. Assign bid number(s), and opening dates. The length of time that the bid must be "on the street" will vary from 14 days to 30 days, depending upon the type of bid.

4. Advertise the bid as required in Board policy and the Annotated Code.

5. Receive and secure the sealed bids.

6. Open and read the sealed bids at the appointed time and place.

7. Create the bid summary. this document is merely a written recapitulation of what was read at the bid opening. It does not state or infer that a particular vendor is the apparent low bidder.

8. Send the bid summary, along with a copy of every vendor's full bid package, to the sponsoring director.

1. With assistance of the Supervisor of Purchasing evaluate the bid packages presented by the vendors. If a committee will complete the evaluation, it is the director's responsibility to ensure that the committee meets and to report the committee's findings.

2. Prepare a Board Cover Sheet and Executive Summary. These documents will become a part of the electronic Board packet for the meeting in which the Board will consider the bids. The Executive Summary should detail how and by whom the recommended vendor was selected.

3. Forward the Cover Sheet and Executive Summary to the members of the Procurement Review Committee. These include:

• The Chief Operating Officer
• The Director of Budget, Finance and Purchasing
• The Chief Legal Counsel
• The Supervisor of Purchasing

4. Meet with the Procurement Review Committee. At this meeting, directors should be prepared to "preview" their presentations to the Board and be able to defend their choice of vendor.

Responsibilities of the Procurement Review Committee

The Procurement Review Committee is responsible for the following:

1. Meet with the directors to determine that the proposed recommendation will meet the requirements of all Board policies and Maryland law. This discussion will include a review of any anomalies such as why particular vendors that have an actual or perceived interest in the bid were not asked to participate, why the low bidder was not recommended, etc.

2. Review the Executive Summary that will be included in the Board packet to determine that there is sufficient information for Board members to be able to make an informed decision. Determine that the financial data is logical, easily understandable, and correct.

3. Forward the Executive Summary to the Executive Assistant for inclusion in the next Board packet, or refer it back to the sponsoring director for changes and/or corrections.

Presentation to the Board and Bid Award

The following staff members will present the formal request for approval to the Board of Education at the appointed meeting:

1. The sponsoring director (who will take the lead presentation role)

2. The Chief Operating Office (or Deputy Superintendent)

3. The Supervisor of Purchasing (or Director of Budget, Finance and Purchasing)

After the Board has approved the vendor choice, Purchasing and sponsoring director will cooperate to notify the vendor of the award and prepare a purchase order. Additionally, there is sometimes a contract, either in addition to or in lieu of a purchase order and in some cases without the benefit of an RFP. When this is the case, the sponsoring director is responsible for obtaining legal counsel's approval of and the Superintendent's signature on the contract. It is important to note that, under Maryland law, the Superintendent must sign all contracts.

Resources

In order for the team approach that we have outlined in this memo to work smoothly and ensure a positive image of the Washington County Public Schools to the vendor community, staff must have access to the necessary resources. To that end,

1. The Purchasing Department will be available at all times and will be happy to provide guidance and assistance, and

2. The Board's Purchasing Policy (DJF-R) and the section of the Annotated Code of Maryland that addresses bids (Section 5-112) are both posted on the Purchasing Department's web site.

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