More topics

1070 - Procurement & Contract Management

Last updated on April 19, 2024

Records relating to the acquisition of goods, services, and construction on contract.

This primary covers the procurement phases and vendor complaint review process for all procurements, and the contract management of most contracts.

It does not cover the management of the following contracts:

  • third-party program delivery contracts
  • complex, large-scale, long-term service contracts (e.g., Public-Private Partnerships and Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) initiatives)
  • construction contracts that may require a longer retention period because of litigation concerns (e.g., bridge construction contracts); and
  • contracts with guarantees, warranties, and indemnities that have long-term legal liability issues.

These contract management files are covered in the ORCS of the appropriate program area. 

Records types include correspondence, lists, bids, proposals, contracts, and other types of records as indicated under relevant secondaries.

NOTE:  Contact your Government Information Management Specialist (team) or Ministry Records Officer if you are uncertain as to whether your contract management files should be classified under this primary.

For accommodation agreements, see Section 3, Buildings and Properties.
For accounts payable, see secondary 925-20.
For copyright documentation relating to service contract deliverables, see secondary 345-50.
For cost-sharing agreements, see also primary 950.
For grants and transfer under agreements, see primary 1150.
For other agreements, see primary 146.

non-OPR NOTE: Offices will retain non-OPR copies of records for: SO nil DE

Primary-Secondary Records Series OPR
  A SA FD
1070-00 Policy and procedures SO 7y DE
1070-01 General FY+1y nil DE
1070-02 Unsolicited offers of service CY+1y nil DE
1070-03 Contractor eligibility lists
NOTE:  Classify eligibility lists relating to a specific competition with the relevant procurement file in secondary -30.		 SO nil DE
1070-20 Contract management files
(covers standard contract form information, contract register, contract holdbacks, contract administration advice, accidents, liabilities and insurance, contract case files and contract - award, implementation and evaluation)
SO = upon expiry or termination of the contract and conclusion of all extensions to the contract
7y = The retention period is based on the six-year limitation period for the commencement of an action under the Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266, s. 3).
NOTE:  Classify assignments of copyright and waivers of moral rights agreed to in service contract negotiations under secondary 345-50 to ensure they are retained for 50 years.  Copies of these documents may be retained in the contract management file.
NOTE:  Contract management involves awarding and negotiating contracts, monitoring performance, resolving disputes, and performing post-contract evaluations.
NOTE:  Contract management records include correspondence, final solicitation documents (e.g., requests for proposal), successful proposals or bids, contract negotiation documents, final contracts, contract amendments, certificates of insurance, change requests and change orders, payment schedules, contract monitoring and contract relationship documents (e.g., progress and status reports and issue resolution records), invoices, payment requisitions, and post-contract evaluation reports.		 SO 7y DE
1070-30 Procurement files
(covers contract bid/tender bonds, rejected/denied contracts, contract planning, pre-award, award, and planning)
SO = when contract is awarded and signed or upon cancellation of contract opportunity
7y = The retention period is based on the six-year limitation period for the commencement of an action under the Limitation Act (RSBC 1996, c. 266, s. 3) and satisfies the one year for lodging a complaint under the vendor complaint review process.
NOTE: Procurement involves justifying the need for the contract, drafting the solicitation documents (e.g., Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation to Quote (ITQ), or Invitation to Tender (ITT)), determining the evaluation criteria, evaluating offers, notifying winners and unsuccessful proponents and bidders, and debriefing unsuccessful proponents and bidders.
NOTE: Procurement records include:
Planning records:  meeting minutes, feasibility studies, business cases, terms of reference, and contract approvals.
Solicitation records:  solicitation documents such as requests for proposals (RFPs), requests for qualifications (RFQs), requests for information (RFIs), requests for expressions of interest (RFEIs), notices of intent (NOIs), approvals for advertising and copies of advertisements, eligibility lists, and records documenting information (e.g., questions and answers) provided to bidders and proponents.
Evaluation and award records:  submitted bids and proposals, scoring and evaluation records, copies of eligibility lists and notices of intent, records documenting justification for direct awards, and contract award documentation.
NOTE: For administrative convenience, offices may classify procurement records with the contract management files under secondary -20, but in that event, they will be retained for the retention period governing secondary -20.		 SO 7y DE
1070-40 Vendor complaint files
SO = upon resolution of complaint through the vendor complaint review process
7y = The retention period ensures these records will be available for consultation in the event the vendor pursues further action through the courts.
DE = Vendor complaint files may be destroyed upon approval of the Records Officer because significant vendor complaints are fully retained by the government archives in the Office of the Comptroller General ORCS, approved schedule 180968.
NOTE:  This secondary covers complaints managed through ministry/agency vendor complaint review processes.  Complaints that cannot be resolved by the ministry or agency are referred for final decision to the central agency responsible for procurement governance.
NOTE:  Procurement complaints handled through other processes (e.g., Ombudsman or the courts) are classified in the relevant ORCS.		 SO 7y DE

Previous | Next

OPR – office of primary responsibility

A – active
SA – semi-active
FD – final disposition

CY – calendar year
FY – fiscal year
nil – no retention period
SO – superseded or obsolete
y – year
DE – destruction

Resources

Learn how government records are managed:

Contact information

For general inquires, contact the Government Information Management (GIM) Branch at:

Office
250 387-3387
Email
GRS@gov.bc.ca