Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1367395
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 MAY 2021 12 COMMERCIAL Public sector printing requirements INFORMATION Technolo- gy has radically changed the way people work, and as digi- tal tools develop and improve, work practices and f lows are increasingly going electronic. As the Public Sector is moving (at an increasing pace) towards the digital realm, printing re- mains a crucial requirement since rules, regulations and in- deed to a certain extent, legis- lation, still call for a paper-cen- tric environment, with workers still relying to a great extent on printed documents to carry out their jobs and ensure an ade- quate level of traceability and accountability. MITA moved to facilitate the procurement of printers across the Public Sector by estab- lishing a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) in March 2020, seeking to address a number of issues, including: • The streamlining of the procurement process • Attracting a broader spec- trum of suppliers • Harmonizing contract terms and conditions • Achieving greater value for money On the first anniversary of the establishment of this DPS, some facts and figures shed light on whether the aims set out are be- ing met. Specific Contracts The DPS mechanism entails that whenever a procurement requirement exists, a specific contract invitation is sent to all admitted participants. Up to the 23 March 2021, ninety-nine specific contract invitations were dispatched from a variety of twenty-six Contracting Au- thorities. Out of these, six are still open, and forty are under evaluation. Of the remaining closed invi- tations, twenty were cancelled because of varying reasons (no bids, no compliant offer re- ceived, change in technical pa- rameters), and thirty-three con- tracts were awarded to seven different Economic Operators. An analysis of the twenty-six concluded contracts sees five of them being awarded above the published estimate, and twen- ty-one below the published es- timate. The combined tender estimate of these tenders was €242,834, whilst the combined contract value of these awards add up to €133,192, mean- ing that savings to the tune of €109,642 (45.15% of the original estimate) were registered. The average lead time from deadline for submission of tenders to the date of award was of 48.5 calen- dar days. Sectoral Procurement Direc- torate With the recent modifications to the Public Procurement Reg- ulations, the newly set-up Sec- toral Procurement Directorate (SPD) within the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and its Sectoral Procurement Units will start to manage and issue specific contracts on behalf of the Government Departments and Entities under the Units' responsibility.Specific contract invitations shall henceforth be published by the SPD on behalf of the Contracting Authority requesting the service or supply. How to be admitted to this DPS This DPS shall remain estab- lished until March 2024, and with a budget of €500,000, it shall cater for many more spe- cific contracts with some ex- ceeding the €100,000 value. One main advantage of a DPS proce- dure is that it does not preclude new Economic Operators from seeking admission and par- ticipation. Additional infor- mation and the link to the DPS page on the Electronic Public Procurement System (from where the DPS Estab- lishment Document can be obtained), is available from MITA's procurement web- site, https://procurement. mita.gov.mt/resources/dps/ dpsprinters-scanners/. Raquel Micallef, WPP Student (first, above) and Miriam Zarb, Senior Executive, Contracts & Legal (second, above)