Commissioning research - The business relationship - ARCHIVED

Description: The government survey sponsor should plan carefully what he expects to get from the supplier, specifying who is to do what, when, including details of what the sponsor will do. If there are many eligible suppliers, only a small number should be invited to submit proposals, increasing as the value of the contract increases. Procedures for screening suppliers and selecting the successful one should be organized before proposals are received. These should include visits to review suppliers, facilities and organization, as a good relationship between a sponsor and a supplier depends largely on good faith and willing cooperation. Sponsor-supplier relationships are more formal, and more time-consuming in the selection process, than in the private sector.

Issue Number: 1980002