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The National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP) Association is sponsoring a nationwide research project for at least 100 agencies to conduct their own bids or RFPs and track the time spent on each step of the process–from that first customer call to the actual contract award.
So far, 26 cities and counties, 8 school districts, 2 higher educational institutions, and 12 special districts (transportation, airport, housing commission, etc.) have signed up. The goal is to track at least 100 projects across all levels of government and educational entities to ensure the data is reflective of the true costs.
The promise to participants is to make the tracking as easy as possible with time increments recorded throughout the project for each step and each employee who is involved. The NCPP project team, with academic support, will do the rest. By compiling the data, comparing to industry recognized salary ranges, and publishing a final report, the results will help procurement leaders focus resource commitments, provide background for budgetary requests, and move towards becoming more strategic.
We all want to the know the answer to this burning question of how much does it really cost. Please volunteer your institution to help make that 100-agency goal and support this important project for procurement.
The final report with results will be shared with other procurement associations to share this information to its membership.
Below are frequently asked questions about this project. Feel free to contact Tammy Rimes with any additional questions you may have.
If you would like to participate and track one (or two!) of your bid/RFP processes,
please reach out to Tammy Rimes, Executive Director at NCPP.
Why is this project being conducted?
We are seeking an answer to that often-asked question: “How much does it cost to conduct your own solicitation process?” The results will help procurement become more strategic, garner needed resources, and report on procurement activities to management and finance teams.
Who can participate?
Since this report is focused on government, those entities that fall within that category (state, city, county, K-12, higher education, etc.), as well as water, wastewater, airport, or transportation authorities can participate. Private or for-profit companies cannot participate.
Does it matter what the RFP is for?
The cover page will allow the selection of four categories: commodities, commodities with installation/labor component, consulting or services, and construction. An “other” designation will be provided if a specific category cannot be determined. With more information, the project team may reassign to category or maintain that data separately.
Will my individual results be posted?
No, all entities who participate will be acknowledged and listed in the report, however only the aggregate data will be reported.
Do I have to calculate the salaries of each position?
No, the goal is to make this as easy as possible to track. After completing the cover page, the rest of the project period is to track hours (in half-hour increments) for those who work on any step in the process. The salary ranges will be provided by industry published standards.
How often do I need to report data?
As each outlined section is completed. That data can be submitted throughout the timeline or at the end of that section — it’s your choice. Reminders will be sent to ensure consistent data entry throughout the project.
Will an individual entity be compared against another?
No, the idea is not to show how one entity is conducting their RFP in a shorter timeframe than another or showcase any participant. Each entity has its own procurement policies and rules may vary from state to state. It would never serve the procurement community to only highlight the lower or upper ends of the time/cost range or make unfair comparisons.
Is there any peer review of the project and report?
Yes, it’s important to have several perspectives in creating, rolling out, and maintenance of all aspects of the project. Advice and insight from several academic institutions as well as the NCPP Public Procurement Advisory team will help ensure accurate and clear materials are provided, and data integrity is maintained throughout the project.
Will this report be publicly available?
A project report will be published at the end of the project and shared with procurement associations. It will be available on the NCPP website as a downloadable PDF that any interested party can access.
