100% of my consulting practice is with cities and counties so I love them dearly. However, many of them drive me nuts. Here are a few of my pet peeves.
- RFP vs. RFQ
I know APA pushes the RFQ route and I think the Private Practice Division does also. For large projects over $100,000 this may be fine. However, for the smaller projects it doesn't cost me anymore to go right to the RFP. If I pass through the RFQ to the RFP, the process actually costs me more. This is particularly true since most of the RFQ requests simply ask for too much data.
- Notarizing Forms
Unless you have a notary in your building, this is a waste of time and a pain. If we start to work with the community, they will know who we are without having a notary certify that we are indeed who we say we are.
- What Do They Really Want?
It is not unusual that we get bids (since we are professionals they are really proposals but in reality they are more like bids) that have one page describing the project and 30 pages of city boilerplate. Sometimes the scope is hidden. Since they don't seem to want to be specific, they ask for the moon. When we bid on the moon, our costs go up. The more specific the RFP, the better job we can do.
- Costs
Most won't tell you what they have in their budget and I guess they are hoping you will low bid. The best approach is if they just lay it out in the RFP and we can tell them what we can or cannot do for that amount of money. We can always say that it is not enough for what they want to do and here is what their budget should really look like. We have been approached by cities that have a $20,000 budget for work that would cost $100,000.
- Don't Talk To Us
Most don't allow us to talk to staff that may actually know what they are looking for. Instead we are allowed to talk to someone in purchasing that doesn't really know what's going on. Also, it is not unusual that when the bid comes out, the contact person goes on vacation and will return the day or day after the bid is due.
- Paper - Paper - Paper
The electronic age is here but I have had only one government willing to accept an electronic proposal. Think of all the trees we could save if we didn't need those 15 nicely bound copies.
- Forms
I'd like to get rid of my last office typewriter if I could only get government to stop insisting that we answer the RFP using their forms with those tiny spaces.
- Thank You
Government doesn't seem to realize that it will cost several thousands of dollars for a typical proposal. Yet, many cancel the contract or select someone with no response to bidders. A simple thank you for bidding would be nice.
- Feed-Back
Don't we all like to do a good job and improve? It would be nice if more governments told us what they liked or didn't like about our proposal, maybe without asking or twisting their arm for information. We must be tough to be in this business, so give it to us straight. We want to improve and learn.
WOW, do I feel better. Even though we get 50 to 75% of everything we bid and receive a lot of sole source work, it sure felt good to write this.
The Management Doctor
Reader Responses
I agree with most of your concerns; okay, complaints! I actually think the RFQ process helps us narrow down those that we really want to spend some time with on proposals - it takes staff time also to review the paper sent to us by consultants and if I can narrow the selection of those we really want to bid; I'm all for saving tax dollars! I agree, don't know why the notarizing is usually required, and am as frustrated as you are with the multitude of boilerplate — but, those are typically required by purchasing, treasurer, legal, etc.; departments we have very little control over. Maybe it would help if the consulting trade could make an affirmative effort to explain why this is costly and adds to the cost of contracts.
I'll keep this and use it next time we can solicit for consultant assistance.
Michael A. Harper, FAICP
Washoe County Community Development Department
