Careful Planning is Key Procurement actions cannot be carried out successfully without sufficient planning and preparation by the agency.
Planning lays the groundwork for an efficient and effective process.
It provides information that enables staff to decide how best to accomplish the procurement, what specific actions need to be taken to obtain the service, and how to assure contract performance is accomplished to meet program requirements. Advance planning also provides the means for an agency to assure it is in full compliance with state statutes, regulations, policies and procedures. Good analysis, good thinking, and good planning are the best ways to ensure selection of a qualified consultant. In the initial stage of planning, the agency should develop a clear perception and description of the need. Defining the need contributes to effective prioritization of the funding required, a common understanding within the agency of the need, and the identification of the nature of the work and the level of service required to meet the need.