Evaluation of Returned Bids

5.9.1. The ITN evaluation process comprises two separate evaluation exercises, namely the:

o qualitative evaluation, where non-financial aspects of the proposals were assessed;

and

o quantitative evaluation, where the financial aspects of the proposals were evaluated

to determine which proposal achieves best value for money and which, at this stage, better meets the Board’s affordability constraint.

5.9.2. The structure and methodology approved by the Project Board was used for the qualitative evaluation. The Board’s financial advisers, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) undertook the financial (quantitative) evaluation on the price, value for money and funding deliverability of the submissions received from the bidders.

5.9.3. With the exception of the Project Management, each section was the subject of detailed consideration by the relevant ITN evaluation sub group the outcome of which was captured in a comprehensive report. These reports cover in depth the evaluation process undertaken by the relevant sub group, the information considered by the sub group and the outcome of the clarifications issued to bidders. The reports document the rationale for the scoring against each ITN evaluation sub criteria, and the outcome of the sub group’s evaluation together with any advice from the NHS Board’s professional advisers that was considered should be taken into account when reaching a recommendation.

5.9.4. In the Project Management section of their bids, each bidder was asked to outline their approach to working with NHS Forth Valley to take the Project through its key stages to completion and operation. This section had an overall weighting of 5% out of 100%, and instead of being scored by a sub group, it was agreed in the evaluation framework that the Main Evaluation Panel would evaluate this section. To support the Main Evaluation Panel in evaluating this section, an initial evaluation was undertaken by the Project Team and Mott Macdonald, the NHS Board’s technical advisers.

5.9.5. It was the role of the Main Evaluation Panel to bring together the work of each of the three evaluation sub groups, and reach a conclusion on the evaluation overall for presentation to the Project Board. In order to fulfill this task, the Main Evaluation Panel received detailed reports and presentations from each evaluation sub group.

5.9.6. The Main Evaluation Panel reviewed firstly the qualitative evaluation and the scores from each of the three sub groups and the qualitative scores were agreed. From this assessment it was clear that the scores for Bidder A and Bidder C were close (……%), with Bidder B significantly short of the other bidders (……%).

5.9.7. It was clear from the quantitative evaluation that the ranking of the bids matched that from the qualitative evaluation. However, there were a number of commercial issues that the Main Evaluation Panel considered required further clarification with Bidders A and C in order for the Panel to be in a position to recommend a Preferred Bidder to the Project Board. These issues included:

o acceptance of the payment mechanism, including the associated Service Level Specifications for both hard and soft facilities management; and

o various technical clarifications associated with bidders’ design and technical proposals.

5.9.8. The ITN evaluation framework suggests that in order to make a recommendation on a Preferred Bidder there should be at least a 5% difference in the scores. The Main Evaluation Panel concluded that as a 5% difference was not evident between Bidder A and Bidder C, that a further stage should be initiated with these two bidders. The Main Evaluation Panel also concluded that as Bidder B’s scores were significantly lower than Bidders A and C, and that their unitary charge was significantly higher than Bidders A and C, Bidder B would not be asked to participate in this next stage. This further stage should require both bidders to:

o revise their bids, where clarifications were sought;

o confirm the price impact or otherwise as appropriate.

5.9.9. These conclusions from the Main Evaluation Panel were reported to the Project Board on 9 December 2005 and agreed.

5.9.10. The quantitative evaluation, undertaken by the Commercial Evaluation Sub Group, assessed the:

o annual affordability of the ITN bids to the NHS Board; and

o value for money of each bid following HM Treasury guidance.

5.9.11. Annual affordability was assessed by reviewing each bid’s proposed unitary charge and value for money was assessed using a Net Present Value calculation of the cost of the bid over the life span of the contract (i.e. 30 years) in accordance with HM Treasury guidance.

5.9.12. In respect of the Soft Facilities Management, the Main Evaluation Panel concluded that, as the payment mechanism and the Service Level Specifications were of equal relevance to the In House Team’s bid, the In House Team should also be given the opportunity to revise and confirm their bid on a similar basis to the Bidders’ A and C.

5.9.13. The Main Evaluation Panel reported this to the Project Board on 9 December 2005, and this course of action was approved.

5.9.14. The second stage involving Bidders A and C, and the In House Team, was initiated in December 2005, with bidders asked to respond by 30 December and the In House Team asked to respond by 10 January 2006, recognising the timescales for the acute project. 5.9.15. Responses from bidders were assessed in early January and the qualitative scores for

Bidders A and C were revised. The Main Evaluation Panel concluded from this second stage that Bidder C’s submission was clearly and consistently, throughout the evaluation, the leading bid. However, the Main Evaluation Panel remained sufficiently concerned about several aspects of Bidder C’s bid not to proceed with a recommendation to appoint Bidder C as Preferred Bidder until the Panel was satisfied on these outstanding issues. The Main Evaluation Panel also concluded that as these further issues potentially affected the facilities management evaluation, a conclusion could not be reached at this stage on the In House Bid.

5.9.16. The Project Board on 13 January 2006, also agreed that as the evaluation could not be concluded until further discussions had taken place with Bidder C, that consideration of the In House Team’s bid should be concluded after the Panel had resolved the outstanding issues with Bidder C.

5.9.17. The Main Evaluation Panel met with Bidder C on 18 January 2006 to discuss the outstanding issues from the evaluation, following which it was considered that a satisfactory position (subject to confirmation in writing) had been reached with Bidder C to recommend that Bidder C (Robertson Healthcare) be appointed as Preferred Bidder.

5.9.18. The Main Evaluation Panel also considered that the facilities management evaluation could now be concluded in order that a recommendation could be made to the Project Board on whether the In House Team or Robertsons Healthcare be appointed to undertake Soft Facilities Management.

5.9.19. The table below summarises the combined weighted qualitative scores for Bidder A and Bidder C.

Table C5/3: Weighted Qualitative Scores for Bidder A and Bidder C

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5.9.20. The outcome of the quantitative evaluation was also that Bidder C ‘Robertsons Healthcare reference bid offered lower financial cost to the Board, as measured in Net Present Value (NPV) terms and first full operating year Service Payments.

5.9.21. The outcome of the quantitative evaluation, in terms of the revised annual affordability of Bidders A and C’s Bids were assessed as follows:

Table C5/4: Annual Affordability for Bidder A and Bidder C

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5.9.22. The Net Present Value was also assessed as follows: Table C5/5: NPV for Bidder A and Bidder C

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5.9.23. Following the very thorough evaluation procedure the Main Evaluation Panel agreed that on the basis of both the qualitative and quantitative evaluations, they should recommend to the Project Board that Robertson Healthcare be selected as Preferred Bidder.

5.9.24. The Project Board at its meeting on 13 January 2006 agreed with the Main Evaluation Panels recommendation that Robertson Healthcare be selected as Preferred Bidder. This recommendation was approved at the NHS Board meeting held on 31 January 2006 subject to satisfactory resolution in writing of a number of key outstanding issues, and successful completion of the Key Stage Review.