As early as possible, the requesting organization should contact the relevant purchasing organization to discuss upcoming requirements and how they should be met. This will allow sufficient time for purchase planning. One of the most important elements of effective planning is the purchase method recommendation, which is the recommendation as to whether the purchase should be made competitively or noncompetitively. This recommendation should occur during purchase planning, or, if applicable, prior to the completion of the Justification of Expenditure or the Decision Analysis Report. The relevant purchasing organization will assist in conducting market research and provide any other needed expertise. Depending on the nature of the purchase, the proper data and analysis to make a recommendation may be obtained through:
See Section 2-10, Determine Extent of Competition for more information.
