The goal of the SKA procurement function is to ensure the successful execution of the SKA entire mission, by effectively and efficiently managing the acquisition process.
To achieve this, SKA procurement processes will:
- Be conducted by a properly constituted procurements office, staffed by qualified personnel, operating under approved policies, procedures, and contractual instruments;
- Be informed through diligent global capability assessment work, designed to maximise procurement efficiency (and any geo-return requirements) by pre-identification of best-value sources;
- Be closely coupled to the SKA project planning and execution activities;
- Be controlled centrally by the procurement office, which holds authority for dispersed global purchasing activities, purchasing data, and payments;
- Ensure that requests for quotations, tenders, and other contractual documentation are clear, and as concise as possible, while expressing requirements in a form most appropriate for the goods or services being procured;
- Include fair and reasonable terms and conditions that give suppliers equal opportunity to SKA supply contracts;
- Foster open and fair relations with suppliers, so as to build strategic supply partnerships (without risk of lock-out), and encourage supply chains that include SMEs; and
- Be mindful of procurement risk for the SKA project, and adopt procedures (e.g. supplier based inspections) that optimise supply of compliant goods.
A top level flow chart of the procurement function
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