Prequalification Scheme: Performance and Management Services

The Department of Premier and Cabinet, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, has established the Prequalification Scheme: Performance and Management Services (the “Scheme”) – a panel of prequalified service providers to assist NSW Government agencies and statutory corporations to engage the best external expertise in the following areas:

1. Performance Reviews – including reviews of agencies, programs, budget and performance targets, management, functions, policies and strategies and legislation and regulation;
2. Infrastructure and Major Projects – advice and/or assistance regarding strategy and planning, risk, major project procurement and delivery, contracting, communication and project management;
3. Service Delivery Improvement – advice and/or assistance regarding service strategy and planning, service implementation, service performance and service evaluation;
4. Organisational Capability – advice and/or assistance regarding governance and reporting, corporate and business strategy, business process improvement, communication, human resources, financial management, asset management and procurement and office services; and
5. General Technical Expertise – advice and/or assistance regarding policy development, business case development, contracts and contracting, project governance and management, issues management, financial and economic analysis, budget management and environmental impact assessment.

Circular 2008-34 Prequalification Scheme: Performance and Management Services

Scheme documents

The Scheme documents provide potential applicants, prequalified service providers and agencies with important information about the Scheme, the application process and the Scheme conditions. 

The Scheme documents can be downloaded by clicking on the links below:

• Prequalification Scheme: Performance and Management Services - GUIDELINES FOR AGENCIES
• Prequalification Scheme: Performance and Management Services - GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS
• Prequalification Scheme: Performance and Management Services - SCHEME CONDITIONS

The Application Form for service providers who wish to become ‘prequalified’ under the Scheme is provided at Schedule 1 of the Scheme Conditions.  Download a Word version of the Application Form here.

Only those service providers who have completed the Application Form and been approved by the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Commerce will be prequalified under the Scheme.

The Scheme is open for new applicants.

Using the Scheme

Service providers seeking prequalification are required to nominate their preferred work types and specialties in the Application Form.

NSW Government agencies and statutory corporations may request a list of prequalified service providers from the Department of Commerce, citing the work types and specialties they require for a particular engagement. Download a Word version of the Request Form and RFQ/RFP number here.

The Request Form may be submitted by e-mail to: consultantprequal@commerce.nsw.gov.au or by fax to: (02) 9372 8077.  A list of suitably qualified service providers will be returned by e-mail to the requesting agency. The Department of Commerce will only send a list to ‘nsw.gov.au’ email addresses.

Agencies may then make their own selection from the list of prequalified service providers or may seek further assistance from the Department of Commerce.

Competition under the Scheme

NSW Government agencies are required to engage consultants in accordance with Department of Premier and Cabinet Circular C2004-17: Guidelines for the Engagement and Use of Consultants.

This prequalification scheme varies and complements these guidelines by providing for engagement of consultants and contractors on the following basis:

1. Where the estimated cost of the engagement is less than $150,000, an engagement may be made directly from the panel by inviting one written quotation from a pre-qualified service provider.
2. Where the estimated cost of the engagement is $150,000 or more, an engagement may be made from the panel by inviting a minimum of three written proposals from pre-qualified service providers. Open invitations to tender are not required.

Further advice and examples of invitations for written proposals may be obtained from the NSW Procurement Client Support Centre, Department of Commerce (contact details below).

Terms of engagement

The engaging agency and the service provider must enter into a separate agreement for each engagement. The Standard Form of Agreement is provided at Schedule 2 of the Scheme Conditions. Download a Word version of the Standard Form of Agreement here.

Agencies should not modify the terms of the Standard Form of Agreement unless there are exceptional circumstances which warrant modification.

Performance monitoring and reporting

The purpose of the Scheme is to improve the procurement and use of performance and management services. Quality assurance, value for money, and performance improvement are key objectives of the Scheme.

To assist in meeting these objectives, the Department of Commerce will collect the following information from agencies for each engagement:

1. the name of the service provider;
2. the total value of the engagement;
3. any variations or flow-on engagements; and
4. a brief description of the outcome

Where a prequalified service provider’s performance has been considered unsatisfactory, or where the total value of the engagement (and any related flow-on engagements) is $150,000 or more, agencies will be required to complete a Performance Report in the form set out at Schedule 3 of the Scheme Conditions. Download a Word version of the Performance Report here.

Agencies are to liaise with the service provider and attempt to reach an agreement on the rating of each performance criterion in a manner which reflects the service provider’s actual performance on the project.

The results of performance monitoring are linked to the selection for future tendering opportunities.  Poor or inconsistent performance may result in decreased opportunities for future work, while good or consistent performance may result in increased opportunities for future work. The Department of Commerce will provide an online reporting service.

Further information about performance and reporting requirements is set out in the Scheme Conditions, Guidelines for Agencies, and Guidelines for Applicants.

Obligations and responsibilities of agencies

Agencies are responsible for making their own assessment of a service provider’s suitability for a particular engagement and are to undertake appropriate due diligence checks according to the size of the engagement and the risks involved.

Pre-qualification under this scheme is not a guarantee of work. No agency is obliged to provide any work opportunities to any pre-qualified service provider.

What the Scheme does not cover

The Scheme does not cover areas of consultancy procurement already addressed by other pre-qualification schemes or panel contracts, including:

1. State Contracts Control Board (period) contracts;
2. Construction Related Consultant Prequalification Schemes; or
3. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capital Investment Process - Consultant Prequalification Scheme.

A list of other panels and contracts not covered by the Scheme (current as at September 2008) is attached to the Guidelines for Agencies and Guidelines for Applicants.

For further information please contact:

NSW Procurement Client Support Centre
Telephone: 1800 NSW BUY (1800 679 289)
Email: consultantprequal@commerce.nsw.gov.au