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Questions Appear in CSDA Online Communities

RFP vs RFQ – When and How to Use Them

Q: Jose M. Quintana, General Manager, Esparto Community Services District

Hello everyone, I have a question about request for proposals and request for qualifications. I am new to the Public Procurement side of my position and have read very much about RFPs and RFQs. One of my questions is, when are the best times to use one over the other? I am currently looking at submitting requests for a Water System Master Plan. I have seen RFPs and RFQs for this type of project. My understanding is when it comes to RFQs you use an evaluation team to score the firms and select the best qualified candidate, that seems easy enough if I’ve understood it so far. My second question is how do you review and select your firm when using an RFP? Is it also an evaluation scoring system or is it a different process? I want to make sure I follow the right procedures when selecting a firm for this project and future projects. Thank you in advance.

A: Cynthia Allen, PhD, CSDM, Administrative Services Manager, Vandenberg Village Community Services District

This is the criteria I use:

• Request for Proposal (RFP) - Professional Services

• Request for Quotation (RFQ) - Specific Goods (stock items) and Fixed Services (annual maintenance)

• Request for Bid (RFB) - Construction (awarded to lowest bidder)

A: Brent Ives, President, BHI Management Consulting

For a service providers point of view, I see: https://www.csda.net/communities-home

RFQ - a ‘request for qualifications’ for professional service where qualified professional help is needed and the cost is secondary.

RFP - ‘request for proposals’- is a call for formal proposals addressing an agency outlined specific scope of work with a particular approach. Here the quote involves known qualified companies and cost is a competitive factor.

Hope this helps… I’d be glad to talk.

CSDA Disclaimer: This section is not intended to be legal advice. Members should always seek legal counsel. The information contained here is for general reference purposes only.