Public Works Training in Wisconsin

l'll be traveling to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in mid-March to provide public works training at the Spring Conference of the Wisconsin Association for Public Procurement (WAPP), an NIGP chapter.  The conference is being held in conjunction with V.A.L.U.E., a cooperative purchasing program in southeastern Wisconsin.

When:  March 14, 2013

Morning Session:  From 11:00 a.m. to noon, I'll be speaking on "Best Practices in Developing Public Works Bid Documents."  Here's a high level outline of my presentation:

• Principals of Preparation
• Formats and Structures
• Components of Bid Documents
• Review of Individual Projects
• Document Control
• Long Term Review
• Training

Afternoon Session:  From 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., I'll be speaking on "When Bad Things Happen to Bids: Strategies for Ensuring a Successful Public Works Project."  Here's an outline of the presentation that encourages participation by attendees:

• Why Aren't Bidders More Careful?
• Why do Bidders Make Mistakes?
• Missing Bid Prices
• Conflict Between Numbers and Words
• Bid Calculation Errors
• Claims of Error

• Is Your Bidder Playing Games?
• Bid is Too Low
• Unbalanced Bids
• Conditioned or Qualified Bids

• Will the Real Low Bidder Please Stand Up?
• Additive and Alternate Bids
• Tie Bids
• Responsive Bids
• Responsible Bidders
• Local Bid Preferences
• Bid Protests and Appeals

• What Can You Do to Manage Bidding?
• What Should be on the Bid Form?
• On What Days Should You Not Receive Bids?
• When is a Bid Late?
• When Should You Take a Bid Guaranty? 

The Weather?  I've been looking at weather reports for Milwaukee every day and there have been many days when it's been very cold with snow.  We'll see what it's like when I am actually there in mid-March!

Mike Purdy's Public Contracting Blog 
© 2013 by Michael E. Purdy Associates, LLC 
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