Policies & Procedures Manual - Elizabeth City State University

400.1.5Adopted: 06/14/05ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITYSpecificationsPurposeThe primary purpose of a purchase specification is to provide a basis for obtaining a product orservice that will satisfy a particular need at an economical cost. Specifications should be written toinvite maximum reasonable competition. Specification should not be unduly restrictive. By nature,however, a specification sets limits and thereby eliminates, or potentially eliminates, items that areoutside the boundaries drawn. Specifications should be written to encourage not discourage,competition, consistent with seeking overall economy for the purpose intended.Specifications are used by the university to describe what it intends to purchase. They are used byvendors to prepare bids to supply the items or services requested. During the evaluation of bids, thespecifications are used to determine each bidder’s compliance with the requirements and ultimately toselect the contracted vendor. For this reason they must be as generic as possible and express theuniversity’s minimum needs, without any unjustified bias toward a specific brand. After an item hasbeen delivered or a service performed, the written specification to which the vendor bid is the keylegal document in settling any dispute concerning the quality of the product or service received.Two General Types of SpecificationsThere are two (2) general types of specifications. A standard specification is originated and developedby the Contracts and Standards Section of the NC Division of Purchase and Contracts. These types ofspecifications are comprehensive in nature and intended for repeated use.The other type of specification is generated by ECSU. It is, by the nature of the commodity or patternof user demand, not intended for repetitive use.Sometimes, other types of specifications may be presented in the form of “brand name or equal”, or inthe form of “brand name only.”Determining Your SpecificationsIf you have experience with different varieties and models of a product, it is much easier to documentyour requirements in the form of specifications. If you do not have this experience, it is helpful todiscuss your options with a purchasing agent and often times it is most helpful to have vendorsdemonstrate equipment for you. Although vendors obviously wish to sway your choice toward theirequipment, a demonstration can be an enlightening experience which will make you much moreknowledgeable of different products and their capabilities. They should be used wherever possible. Ifa brands specific requisition is submitted, it must be accompanied by a written justification explainingwhy the product is singularly able to meet the requirements.