By Brenda Asiimwe

MANY people believe that doing one task or project at a time increases the levels of efficiency, hence timely delivery. When procurement entities are awarding contracts, they usually consider many requirements.

So, by the time one gets the contract, it means that they have got what it takes to deliver, some experts argue.

One of the vital necessities that procurement entities consider when selecting contractors or suppliers, is whether the selected service provider has the capacity to do the work. But some government agencies and private organisations do not prefer awarding a contract to a firm that has another job. A question, therefore, arises, can a service provider handle two or more projects at once?

Patrick Kagaba, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority manager for training and capacity building, says as long as the service provider has the capacity to handle all the projects, there is no problem in giving them a tender.

He, however, explains that at the evaluation of bidders, there is need to put emphasis at post-qualification to prove that the bidder has all the requirements for the work. “For example, find out if the contractor has the required resources,” he says.

Kagaba notes that a contractor’s capacity can be judged from their equipment, if it is enough and relevant to the given projects. “The contractor should also be having adequate qualified personnel to do the work,” said the expert.

He adds that the procuring entity should go an extra mile to see if the selected contractor has the finances to run all the projects that they bid for.

Belew Ayalew, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) director of procurement, argues that winning two or more contracts at the same time, is proof enough that the contractor can do the work.

“Tenders are always competitive, with a lot of capable bidders. The procedure of selecting the bidder suited for the work is a long and tough one. So, if a service provider scoops the contracts, then they have got the potential to deliver,” Ayalew explains.

Kagaba, however, says taking on more than one project demands extra energy and commitment to the work.

“The procurement entity should be able to appoint a competent contracts manager to ensure the expected deliverables are provided as per the agreement.

In other words, a contracts manager determines the success or the failure of a project,” he explains.

The contract manager should also have a project’s implementation plan to monitor the work and ensure that all is done according to the schedule.

Ayalew says if contractor ensures time, cost and quality are met, then they handle many projects successfully.