Major Procurement Review and Authorization Policy

Policy Summary

Following best procurement practices, the George Washington University ("GW" or "university") documents its vendor selection and approval process when large portions of the university's assets will be spent with a single vendor. As such, all major procurements of goods and services will be subject to a review and authorization process that documents vendor competition and approval by university senior management.

Who is Governed by this Policy 

• Faculty
• Staff

Policy

General Procurement Process 

The procurement process begins with a decision of whether to bid out or sole-source the procurement and is made by the originating department’s management based on the circumstances surrounding the procurement. The facts and circumstances of the procurement need to be well documented for later review and approval. Any decision to use a sole-source procurement process for a major procurement must have the written approval of the responsible vice president. The approval must be received prior to pursuing a particular procurement process. 

For those major procurements involving bids and quotations, see Major Procurements Involving Bids and Quotations below. For those major procurements involving a sole source, see Major Procurements Using Sole Source or Single Source Vendors below.

Major Procurements Involving Bids and Quotations 

All major procurements of goods and services will be subject to a review and authorization process that documents vendor competition and approval by university senior management. The originating department is responsible for following the procurement process and collecting all of the required bids/quotations, proposals, and contract requirements. 

1. All major procurements require the review and recommendation of a procurement committee before the vendor is engaged.
2. The Procurement Committee (“committee”) is an advisory committee that will review the procurement action to determine that a competitive process was followed, evaluate the proposed vendors, and make a final vendor recommendation to the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (EVP/CFO).

1. The committee will generally consist of either five or seven senior-level employees who have a broad understanding of the university’s operations.

a. The committee will be composed of both voting and non-voting advisory permanent and rotating members.

b. Permanent members will be from the Division of Safety and Operations, Financial Operations, Procure-to-Pay, and the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel.

i. Their appropriate vice president will appoint permanent members. 

ii. Permanent members will serve a one-year term with no limits on the number of terms. 

c. Rotating members will consist of at least one person from the requesting area to provide technical answers and recommendations concerning the procurement action and will be appointed by the appropriate vice president.

d. Other rotating members will be selected based on the major users of the goods or services being procured and will be appointed by the appropriate vice president. 

2. Voting Members Should primarily include stakeholders with a direct understanding of the requirements and an active role in the outcome (e.g., end-users, SMEs). Their assessments directly influence scoring and final selection.

3. Non-Voting Members/Advisors include departments providing input on specific risk/compliance areas (e.g., IT security, legal). Their role is to flag issues or make recommendations, but not score vendors unless they are true evaluators of solution performance.

Evaluation Committee Formation and Committee Roles

When forming an evaluation committee for a major RFP, the following stakeholders should usually be represented:

1. End-User(s) or Functional Lead(s) – Primary users of the product or service.
2. Procure-to-Pay Representative – Ensures adherence to procurement policy and process.
3. Division of Safety and Operations (DSO)- Review for safety, code compliance, logistics, and alignment with operational policies.
4. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) – Technical experts (e.g., IT, facilities, research).
5. Compliance/Legal – For reviewing risk, data security, or contractual obligations.
6. Finance or Budget Owner – If cost analysis or budget impact is significant.
7. Diversity/Sustainability Representatives (optional but encouraged) – For supplier diversity or environmental impact, if relevant.

Role Summary Table

1. The committee will review the vendor recommendation and supporting documentation from the area or department establishing the request for proposal and request for quotation justification (“requesting area”), to confirm the basis of the vendor selection. The committee will take into account, among other things: 

a. Prior work history at the university (quality of work, budget overruns, and delivery dates);

b. Competitive price as compared to other vendor proposals;

c. Financial feasibility to complete the contract (going concern); 

d. Quality of product(s) or service(s) and ability to deliver on time;

e. Estimated delivery dates; 

f. Vendor references;

g. Whether or not the vendor is on the government’s debarred or suspended vendors list; and 

h. The vendor’s policy on complying with equal employment opportunity and other fair labor laws. 

2. The committee will submit a written report to the EVP/CFO, supporting its review and recommendation.

a. If the EVP/CFO accepts the committee’s recommendation, the procurement action will continue through the normal university procurement and contract approval process.

b. If the  EVP/CFO rejects the committee’s recommendation and selects a different vendor, then the  EVP/CFO must report this action, along with the reasons and justifications, to the Finance and Investments Committee of the Board of Trustees at the next regular meeting.

i. The  EVP/CFO may reject all of the vendors and ask that the procurement process be reopened. The Procurement Committee will be reconvened to review the new bids and quotations. 

Major Procurements Using Sole Source or Single-Source Vendors 

If a major procurement is sole-sourced, the following procedures should be followed: 

1. The originating department’s management has decided to sole-source a major procurement.
2. The facts and circumstances of the procurement need to be well documented for later review and approval.
3. The decision to sole-source must have the written approval of the responsible vice president prior to starting the particular procurement.
4. Non-binding contract negotiations and discussions should be performed by the responsible department personnel.
5. When the initial terms and conditions of the procurement are agreed to, the information should be forwarded to the  EVP/CFO for review and approval. 

The  EVP/CFO will report all sole-sourced major procurements to the Finance and Investments Committee of the Board of Trustees at the next regular meeting.

Definitions

Major Procurement: Any single procurement of goods and services of $10,000,000 or greater. 

Related Information

• Diverse Business Enterprises Policy
• Federally-Debarred Suppliers Policy
• Policy on Outside Interests, Relationships, and Professional Activities
• Procurement Manual
• Signing of Contracts and Agreements Policy

Contacts

Contact	Phone Number	Email Address
Procure-to-Pay	202-994-2500	p2pgwu [dot] edu