Section 27-4608. MARKET RESEARCH

 

4608.1Before issuing a solicitation, making a purchase, or awarding a contract, the Hospital may: 

 

(a)Estimate the likely cost of the proposed procurement and assure that adequate funds are available; and

 

(b)Conduct appropriate market research and establish minimum needs.

 

4608.2Market research is designed primarily to familiarize the Hospital with the market for the goods or services it seeks to acquire in order to develop an appropriate strategy for conducting a prompt and efficient procurement that promotes reasonable competition between qualified firms.  The extent of market research will vary depending on factors such as urgency, the size and complexity of the proposed procurement, and the Hospital’s existing knowledge of the market based on its (or its key personnel’s) past experience in procuring similar goods or services.  If the Hospital has such existing knowledge, market research is not required.

 

4608.3Market research, to the extent it is relevant to the particular procurement and not already known to the Hospital, generally should focus on obtaining information such as the following: 

 

(a)Customary practices in the relevant market;

 

(b)The prospective sources that may be able to supply the goods or services;

 

(c)The opportunities for participation by firms that qualify as CBEs;

 

(d)The benchmarks available to evaluate the likely cost of the procurement and the reasonableness of prices or costs proposed by prospective contractors; and

 

(e)The requirements of any laws or regulations unique to the procurement.

 

4608.4In conducting market research, the Hospital may solicit information from prospective sources on matters such as their interest in the potential procurement, the characteristics and costs of their products or services, their customary practices, and their knowledge of the industry generally.  Such information may be solicited by requesting interested parties to submit written information (for example, by posting a notice on the Internet seeking information pertinent to the proposed procurement), through meetings or telephone contacts, by distributing and seeking comments on a draft solicitation, or through other prudent means.

 

4608.5In addition to soliciting information from prospective contractors, the Hospital may also obtain information from other sources.  For example, price information that can assist in estimating the likely cost of the procurement and in evaluating price reasonableness is frequently available from sources such as catalogs, Internet sites, or records of past procurements.

 

authority

The Board of Directors of the Not-for-Profit Hospital Corporation (Board), pursuant to authority granted by sections 105(a), 106(6), and 111 of the Not-for-Profit Hospital Corporation Establishment Emergency Amendment Act of 2010 (Act), effective July 7, 2010 (D.C. Act 18-476; 57 DCR 6937 (August 6, 2010), and applicable sections of any subsequent substantially identical emergency, temporary, or permanent legislation.

source

Notice of Emergency and Proposed Rulemaking published at 57 DCR 8507 (October 8, 2010)[EXPIRED]; as amended by Notice of Emergency and Proposed Rulemaking published at 58 DCR 3086 (April 18, 2011)[EXPIRED]; as amended by Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 58 DCR 4565, 4572 (May 27, 2011).