2.1. Introduction to the Pre-Solicitation Stage
By proceeding to Chapter 2 - Stage 2 - Pre-Solicitation, the procurement professional has determined a solicitation will be conducted to acquire the needed goods/services. The type of solicitation will be determined in this stage. If the state entity is not certain whether a solicitation is required, the procurement professional must first review Chapter 1 - Stage 1 - Need Identification and apply its methodology. A state entity may elect to conduct a competitive solicitation even when doing so is not required. For example, the state entity may elect to conduct a competitive solicitation even though the identified goods or services are exempt from competitive bidding pursuant to the State Purchasing Act.
The Pre-Solicitation Stage addresses several steps which must be completed by the procurement professional before preparing the solicitation. These major pre-solicitation steps are discussed in detail in this chapter and include:
|
Step 1 |
Analyzing the purchasing need |
|
Step 2 |
Addressing certain market and budget constraints, such as sole-source claims |
| Step 3 | Selecting the best solicitation method |
| Step 4 | Addressing delegated purchasing authority |
| Step 5 | Planning the solicitation |