Bid Evaluation (Public Contracts In Cameroon)
The tenders board shall set a duration for the evaluation of technical and financial bids. Such duration must not exceed 10 (ten) working days for minor projects and where bid opening comprises a single stage, and 15 (fifteen) working days where bids are opened in two stages. For complex and major projects, this duration may be extended to 21 (twenty-one) working days.
Chairpersons and members of bid evaluation sub-committees shall preferably be chosen from a list of experts approved by the public contracts regulatory body on the basis of their competence and experience in the field concerned by the invitation to tender, and depending on their availability.
Chairpersons and members of bid evaluation sub-committees must be people of good moral standing, master public contract procedures and regulations and have proven technical skills in the relevant field.
Chairpersons and members of bid evaluation sub-committees must refrain from any action that may compromise their objectivity and, in any case, must not have any financial, personal or other interest in the contract under review.
The Bid Evaluation Sub-committee shall first determine whether the bidders are eligible and if their bids are complete and substantially comply with the requirements of the tender documents. The disqualification of a bid for non-compliance with the requirements of the tender documents shall be based only on the criteria contained in the special regulations of the tender.
The Bid Evaluation Sub-committee shall then carry out a detailed evaluation of bids deemed compliant and which meet all the provisions and conditions of the tender document, using only the criteria communicated to the bidders in the tender document or through publication.
The Chairperson of the tenders board may, on the proposal of the Bid Evaluation Sub-Committee, request bidders or relevant government services or bodies to provide clarifications on bids.
The clarifications requested and provided in writing shall, in no way, be intended to modify the elements of the bid to make it more competitive.
The request for clarifications should be intended to:
– bring out a piece of information contained in the bid;
– verify the accuracy of the information provided by a bidder from the issuing services, as appropriate;
– request a bidder to confirm the correction of a calculation error or an omission discovered;
– provide further explanation on technical aspects not understood by the Evaluation Sub-committee or on the content of price sub-details; or
– justify bid prices deemed abnormally low.
The response time for requests for clarification shall not exceed 7 (seven) working days.
Requests for clarification and replies received shall be presented in a summary report attached to the evaluation report.
Fraud, forgery and misrepresentation shall lead to the disqualification of the bid.
In case of discrepancy between the prices in figures and those in words, the prices in words shall prevail.
In addition to the main bid, bidders may submit variants where they are so required or where the tender document explicitly gives them that possibility.
The tender document shall clearly specify the manner in which variants shall be considered in the evaluation of bids.
For the award of contracts falling within the threshold of jobbing orders, and where the tender documents explicitly so provide, the references of the promoter or of a technical officer in a newly incorporated national small- and medium-sized enterprise shall replace those of the corporate body where the latter does not yet have the required number of years of experience or references.
At the end of its work, the Bid Evaluation Sub-committee shall submit an evaluation report to the tenders board.
The evaluation report shall be a single document initialled and signed by all the sub-committee members.
In case of disagreement, members who do not sign the evaluation report shall express their opinion in a memorandum addressed to the Chairperson of the tenders board with a copy to the Project Owner or the Delegated Project Owner. The Chairperson of the tenders board shall ensure that the said memorandum is attached to the validated evaluation report.
The evaluation report shall be presented to the tenders board by the Chairperson of the Evaluation Sub-committee or, as appropriate, by a member of the said Sub-committee duly designated by the Evaluation Sub-committee Chairperson.
