Looking beyond L1

Govt introduces progressive reforms in procurement

The Department of Expenditure announced a little-noticed change in government procurement policy at the end of October and it could have a significant impact on the way projects are awarded and executed. In the case of projects designated Quality Oriented Procurement (QOP) and non-consulting services, the government has allowed for the L1 or lowest-bid procured for a tender, to be replaced by a Quality-cum-Cost-based Selection (QCBS). L1 has long been the bane of the government procurement system, which has resulted in shoddy infrastructure and project execution. The revised guidelines are meant to ensure faster, efficient and transparent project execution and