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Key selection criteria

Cost

Accountants and managers are looking for ‘value for money’, which may, in some cases, mean the least cost option. Low costs will encourage long term support from senior management, both for the waste management project and for the budget. However, cost must not be considered in isolation, as it can be influenced by other factors; what is of primary importance is to ensure the most economically advantageous option for the institution. For instance, if the market price for paper slumps, will your contractor continue to collect material for recycling, or are you going to be left with piles of paper that ultimately will have to be disposed to landfill? Glasgow Caledonian University experienced this, resulting in the collapse of its original recycling scheme in 1994. This eventuality should be catered for in the contract.

Reliability

Waste management contracts are like any other business relationship and can be (and many have been) broken. By viewing the project as a partnership with a good working relationship, rather than just another business deal, you may enhance its chances of success as the contractor may be more inclined to provide assistance.

Environmental acceptability

Environmental criteria are increasingly important and should be included as part of the tendering exercise. Consideration should be given to the way the contractor manages the waste (track record, pollution incidents, fines and so on) and could include certification to a recognised standard such as ISO 14001 or equivalent. However, this cannot become part of the criteria for awarding the contact as it would break EU procurement regulations. You should take account of Public Procurement legislation when drawing up a contract to ensure that you are not in contravention.

These main criteria form the basis for the requirements to be included in the schedule drawn up as part of the invitation to tender document.

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