Specifications Writing

REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATION

Every purchase requires some form of requirement

specification no matter how simple.

• A requirement specification is a condition or

capability that must be met or possessed by a
system, product, service, result or component to
satisfy the end-user’s requirements.
 REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATION

The specification is the “heart” of the procurement

transaction

• It defines client’s needs

• It tells buyer what to buy
• It tells supplier what is required
• It sets standards for quality
 TYPES OF SPECIFICATIONS

1. Functional
• Purpose, duty, role or function

2. Performance
• Capability, input/output criteria, performance characteristics

3. Technical
• Detailed physical characteristics
 EXAMPLE: FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS

PURCHASE OF VEHICLE CONSULTING SERVICE

Capable of conveying employees To conduct a Green Procurement

from residence to office and vice training program for GPPB-TSO
versa Recognized Trainers
EXAMPLE: PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

PURCHASE OF VEHICLE CONSULTING SERVICE

Capable of conveying 15 Complete 3 training courses of 1-

employees from residence to week and conduct post-training
office and vice versa competency exam
 EXAMPLE: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

PURCHASE OF VEHICLE CONSULTING SERVICE

• 15 seats Reporting Language: English

• 4 doors Formats: Slides MS PowerPoint;
• 2-wheel drive Reports in MS Word compatible
• Engine min. 2900 cc format
• Petrol Unleaded
• Color: White
 MAJOR TRAPS IN THE SPECIFICATION
PHASE

1. Over Specifying
2. Too vague or incomplete
specifications
3. No focus on best value of
money
 CONCEPTS

Goods

SPECIFICATIONS

Consulting Services

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Infrastructure/Civil Works

Statement of Works (SOW)

 SPECIFICATIONS WRITING EXERCISE

Workshop duration: 30 minutes including presentation

The end-user unit of a Mining Company needs to

procure eight (8) vehicles for the demining effort and
require strong vehicles suitable for driving in rough
terrain, that could carry at least 5 persons. They need
to craft the specifications for the project.
 SPECIFICATIONS WRITING EXERCISE

• Each group shall be given a list of models available and the

associated specifications (number of doors, seats, type of
transmission, fuel and engine, delivery time, ground clearance
–the distance from the lowest point on the vehicle and the
ground, and wheel base – distance between the axles, gives an
indication on the size of the vehicle.

a. Small Size: Wheel Base ≥ 2400 mm

b. Medium Size: Wheel Base ≥ 2700 mm
c. Large Size: Wheel Base ≥ 2850 mm
SPECIFICATIONS WRITING EXERCISE
 SPECIFICATIONS WRITING EXERCISE

• Discuss which vehicles meet with your requirements and

which do not. Justify your choices.

• Finalize your specifications, bearing in mind the

prohibitions on technical specifications writing.
 PREPARATION OF TOR

• The TOR is the prospective Consultant’s first and main

introduction to the project

• It forms the basis for the preparation of clear and

detailed proposals by the prospective Consultant.
Conduct a research, if needed.

• TOR should define the scope of work required and the

responsibilities expected from the Consultant

• It should be adequate and clear to minimize risk of

ambiguities.
 CONSEQUENCES of VAGUE TOR

• Unclear TOR requires suppliers to make

assumptions.
• Difficult to evaluate.
• Can lead to less successful projects, as the
winning bidder might not provide what is
really needed.
• Risk of disputes and claims, as it might not be
clear who is responsible for what.
 COSTING

• In parallel to the preparation of TOR, the budget should

be reviewed to ensure that the costing and the budget
are aligned.
• The budget should include the following break down of
costs:

1. Consultant’s fee, listed as number of working

months/weeks/days x fee per working month/week/day.
2. Daily subsistence allowance (DSA) multiplied by the number of
days.
3. Transportation costs
4. Other relevant costs eg. Communication and printing, rental fees
 CONTENT OF TOR

1. Background of the project

2. Scope of Work
3. Deliverables
4. Timeframes
5. Client Support
6. Constraints
7. Reporting Requirements
8. Key Performance Indicators
 CONTENT OF TOR

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

• Briefly describe the national context in which the
specific consultancy project will operate
o Sector concerned and its major characteristics
o Socio-economic context and the institutional and
organizational framework
o Stakeholders involved
o Objective of the consultancy project or the expected
situation at the end of the project
o Target beneficiaries
 CONTENT OF TOR

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

• Sufficient information must be provided to form a clear

picture of the setting for the consultancy.

• It must be able to explain the reasons for undertaking the

project and why it is designed the way it is.
 CONTENT OF TOR

SCOPE OF WORK

• Preferably be SMART
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Accurate
R – Realistic
T – Time-bound
• Preferably formulated to include time, place and
quantity.
 CONTENT OF TOR

DELIVERABLES

• Ensure that all deliverables necessary for the

achievement of the objectives are described.
• If possible, describe deliverables in time, location,
quality, quantity (when, where, of what quantity, how
much). (DELIVERABLE + TIMEFRAME)
• Deliverable is stated as an end result, eg. Report, project
document, training.
 CONTENT OF TOR

TIME FRAME

• State the proposed timing of the activities and the

duration to which you expect a deliverable to be
completed and submitted.

• State the total consultancy duration.

• State the expected total number of working days/man

days
 CONTENT OF TOR

CLIENT SUPPORT

• All resources and support the recipient

government/institution can provide to the Consultant
free of charge eg. Background information/information
material
 CONTENT OF TOR

CONSTRAINTS

• State clearly the restrictions, the limitation or the extent

of responsibility or authority of the Consultant.

• It should be conveyed at the onset of the project so to

avoid risk of disputes.
 CONTENT OF TOR

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

• List the reports and time wanted.

• Include requirements such as contents, number of
copies, language, who should receive the reports and
whether they should be submitted electronically, in hard
copy, or both. (eg. Inception Report, Mission Reports,
Technical Reports, Draft Final Report, Final Report,
Presentation Material)
 CONTENT OF TOR

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Manner or method of evaluating performance

• The rating scale to be used
• The required passing rate
• When and how often it shall be conducted
 SAMPLE TOR

TOR for Capacity Development Consultant

Background of the …improve the Government’s capacity in developing

Project environmental friendly energy systems in accordance
with the overall “Green Energy 2015” programme goals
Scope of Work • To conduct a “green energy” TOT Programme for 75
Staff in 3 Ministries
Deliverable/Timeframe • Competency assessment documented in inception
report
• Develop training course modules, to be submitted
within a month from submission of inception report.
• Complete 3 TOT training courses within 1 month
from submission of training course material, of 1-
week duration and conduct post-training competency
tests, all documented in the final report
 SAMPLE TOR

TOR for Capacity Development Consultant

Client Support • Consultant shall be provided a copy of the agency’s
existing training materials as reference
• Training room facilities for the training courses shall
be provided
Constraints • All developed materials relative to the project are
strictly confidential and are not to be shared with the
public
Reporting • Inception and Final Report shall be submitted in MS
Requirements Word Compatible Format, submitted in soft and hard
copies.
• Training modules submitted in soft and hard copies
• Two copies for every deliverable.
Key Performance • All 75 Staff trained within 3 months
Indicators • Average training satisfactory rate among participants
should be min. of 3 from a scale of 1-5.
• 70% of staff to pass the “green energy” exam
 TOR WRITING

Workshop Duration: - 40 minutes to prepare TOR

- 5 minutes for the presentation
Agency X is conducting a three-day Market Procurement Summit to be
participated by 1000 attendees from both private and government sectors.
The Division in-charge is procuring for an Events Organizer who has the
capacity and ability to host and run the event.
As the end-user of the Division, you are tasked to prepare a TOR for the
procurement of an Events Organizer.
To be discussed with group mates:
• What information do you need to gather before you can prepare the TOR.
Where will you get this information and who will you need to talk to?

To be accomplished and presented:

• Using a flipchart, prepare a TOR.
 THANK YOU!!
Contact us at:

Unit 2506 Raffles Corporate Center

F. Ortigas Road, Ortigas Center
Pasig City, Philippines 1605

TeleFax: (632)900-6741 to 44
Email Address: gppb@gppb.gov.ph