Procurement Management Research Paper

Task 3(b)

The purpose of the Procurement Management Plan is to define the procurement requirements for the project and how it will be managed from developing procurement documentation through contract closure. The Procurement Management Plan defines the following:

• Items to be procured with justification statements and timelines

• Type of contract to be used

• Risks associated with procurement management

• How procurement risks will be mitigated through contract performance metrics, insurance, or other means

• Determining costs and if/how they’re used as evaluation criteria

• Any standardized procurement templates or documents to be used

• How multiple suppliers will be managed if applicable

• Contract approval process

• Decision criteria

There are many different types of contracts like firm-fixed price, time and materials (T&M), cost-reimbursable, and others. Different procurement items may also require different contract types. A well-defined product may be a firm-fixed price while a product which will require a research and development effort may be a T&M contract. All items and services to be procured for this project will be solicited under firm-fixed price contracts. The project team will work with the contracts and purchasing department to define the item types, quantities, services and required delivery dates. The contracts and purchasing department will then solicit bids from various vendors in order to procure the items within the required time frame and at a reasonable cost under the firm fixed price contract once the vendor is selected. This contract will be awarded with one base year and three option

These constraints may be related to schedule, cost, scope, resources, technology, or buyer/seller relationships. As constraints are identified, they must be considered every step of the way as procurement activities are planned and conducted. Every effort must be made to identify all constraints prior to any project or procurement planning as constraints identified later in the project lifecycle can significantly impact the project’s likelihood of success. There are several constraints that must be considered as part of the project’s procurement management plan. These constraints will be included in the RFP and communicated to all vendors in order to determine their ability to operate within these constraints. These constraints apply to several areas which include schedule, cost, scope, resources, and technology:

Schedule:

Project schedule is not flexible and the procurement activities, contract administration, and contract fulfillment must be completed within the established project schedule.

Cost:

Project budget has contingency and management reserves built in; however, these reserves may not be applied to procurement activities. Reserves are only to be used in the event of an approved change in project scope or at management’s