The use of qualifications-based selection in public procurement: A survey research

Abstract

Public agencies have started to shift away from the traditional lowest responsive and responsible bid to other approaches in purchasing certain items and services. These alternative approaches emphasize the quality of the products and the qualifications of the vendors. The purpose of this article is to explore the use qualifications-based selection (QBS) and other non-traditional source selection methods in public procurement processes. An online survey was sent out to 1665 members of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, and a mail survey sent a random sample to 300 American Public Works Association members. The survey results show that while the traditional lowest responsive and responsible bidding is still the dominant selection method when all procurement is considered, QBS and other non-traditional methods have gained wide acceptance and use in public agencies, especially for the purchase of professional services and information technology.

Citation

Qiao, Y. and Cummings, G. (2003), "The use of qualifications-based selection in public procurement: A survey research", Journal of Public Procurement, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 215-249. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-03-02-2003-B004