Inquiry into how the Ministry of Education managed the 2008 national school bus transport tender process

The Auditor-General has agreed to inquire into how the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) managed the 2008 national school bus transport tender process. This document sets out the terms of reference for the inquiry.

Background

A range of concerns have been raised with the Auditor-General about the Ministry's tender process.

The Minister of Education has asked the Auditor-General to inquire into how the Ministry managed the 2008 national school bus transport tender process. The Auditor-General has also received many letters of complaint from individuals and companies involved in, or who feel they were negatively affected by, the Ministry's tender process.

The inquiry

The inquiry will examine:

• how the Ministry developed the Request for Proposal (RFP) and overall procurement strategy, including the extent to which the RFP reflected the Ministry's earlier consultation with stakeholders, and the clarity with which any key changes to the RFP were communicated to stakeholders;
• the extent to which the RFP rules were applied consistently by Ministry staff, contractors, and the Tender Evaluation Panel during the tender process; and
• the extent to which the Ministry responded promptly and effectively when concerns began to be expressed about aspects of the tender process.

The inquiry will also consider any other matters that the Auditor-General considers it desirable to report on.

The inquiry will be conducted under sections 16(1) and 18(1) of the Public Audit Act 2001.

The Auditor-General will decide on the appropriate manner in which to report the findings once the inquiry has been completed. This may include reporting to the Ministry, selected individuals, and Parliament. The Auditor-General may also make recommendations to the Ministry.

The inquiry will not affect the validity of the contracts awarded by the Ministry as part of the tender process.

Contact for enquiries

Pania Gray, Sector Manager

Telephone +64 4 917 1500