Guide: know the market
PIANOo regards market knowledge as an essential part of public procurement and tendering. Know your market! The more a client knows about the market, the more effective his procurement will be. The more familiar he is with the market in which he acts the better he can formulate a procurement request, and assess whether the offerings are in line with the objectives of the organisation. Against that background, PIANOo decided to publish this guide. It culminates in a ‘Checklist for Market Knowledge in Public Procurement’, an aid for public procurement staff. The Market Knowledge Checklist highlights many points that can be important in learning about the market in preparation for a tendering process or public contract.
Over the seven or so years of its operation, PIANOo has learned that procurement generally pays scant regard to knowledge of the market. The focus has been on the legal quality of the procedure, which is, of course, an important consideration. PIANOo’s 6th annual conference on public procurement is entitled “Make the market work for you”. Against that background, we decided to publish this guide to obtaining knowledge of the market. It culminates in a ‘Checklist for Market Knowledge in Public Procurement’. The checklist is an aid for public procurement staff. It is the initial version of a dynamic instrument, to be adapted in response to the practical experience of procurement staff.
The Market Knowledge Checklist highlights many points which can be important in learning about the market in preparation for a tendering process or public contract. The government buyer (procurement consultant) need not be familiar with all the points for consideration for every contract or invitation to tender. The points are meant largely as reminders, and offer the consultant a point of reference when amassing relevant market knowledge. We hope that the market knowledge checklist will help procurement staff to increase their market knowledge. We will be interested to hear how you get on with the checklist and will welcome any constructive comments.