Project Stages
Follow these links to Get Started and learn all about becoming a Buyer:
Identify the need
Be clear about want you want to achieve in the project and give some thought as to how you will approach it, particularly if you have not worked in this way before. In particular be realistic over the cost of the project, timescales required and how you will manage it. Have you prepared the project source materials required? Have you obtained funding approval for the project and release of funds to pay into your account by the time a bid is accepted? Careful consideration to these matters up front will pay handsome dividends and you should then at least achieve your expectations.
Scope out the project
Take time to prepare the project specification. Do not start thinking about it when you come to the project screen. Ideally you should have documented your requirements beforehand and transfer it to the project posting form. Be as specific as possible. Clarity is essential! What you fully understand cannot be understood unless it is clearly and unambiguously communicated on the project description.
Every project has a beginning, middle and end. Start off with a summary stating the nature of the project. Instead of saying ‘a number of’ give the precise details for what you expect. For example:
'Creation of 5 animated web banners each to the following sizes x, y and z allowing for 3 revisions'
Note that in the above example you have stated the number of banners, size variations required, the fact that animation is involved and that the first result may not be acceptable and need revising. Consultants will be able to accurately assess what is required and bid for the whole project as you envisage it, not in fact just for a part – delivery of 5 banners, no more no less, which isn’t what you in fact are looking for.
State. .
‘involves scanning 15,000 A4 documents, indexed to this (specify) standard on the following system’
rather than ‘carry out a document scanning exercise for this department;s documents generated over the last quarter’ without any mention of standards, software or volumes.
Posting a loosely defined project leads to additional time answering questions and a resulting delivery that wasn’t what you had in mind. In other words the consultant will deliver what they believe you want!
- Define the category of work
- Give it a title
- Summarise the project scope
- Spell out what source materials and other information will be provided to the consultant
- Main body: Provide details of the project objectives, constraints (computer languages, qualifications, tools required, location, experience etc), freedoms (flexibility in providing a solution, approach etc), time constraints and deliverables required.
If you require a pilot or example or statement of the approach the consultant will take, then this needs to be clearly stated as a requirement of a bid. Stating precisely what defines the end of the project is important: what must the consultant deliver for the project to be completed?
Other decisions to make:
» Required budget – may be from and to an amount if you wish to set boundaries.
» Project bids cut-off date. Note you are free to accept a bid before the close date you set.
» Payment method - will it be via Escrow?
» Skills and experience required.
» Standard or Featured project listing? A featured project listing also allows for hourly bids, more open communications, and no commission charged to the provider.
Define the project boundaries
What does the project specifically include in its scope and what is excluded? What are the project milestones and timescales for each stage? To what extent may you modify the original scope of the project as stated? If you require some freedom to revise your thinking during the course of its delivery you must state this to be the case, otherwise the consultant is within their rights to deliver exactly to the project scope as bid for.
Post the project
Clear layout aids the message – and attracts attention
Respond to Consultant's messages
Provide the courtesy of timely responses. Answers provided form part of the acceptance contract with the winning bidder. The private message boards allow both parties to question and clarify matters, share information such as approach to be taken, review samples of work previously carried out that will help all parties decide whether to proceed further with each other. The Project manager has complete freedom over who to select, if anyone.
Review bids and Consultant's capabilities
As an aid to selecting a bidder the following steps may help.
- If the bid is too good to be true, think long and hard before accepting the ‘cheapest’ price. Of course international bids can be more competitive and work quality will be of the highest standard. But being competitive and being unrealistically low is two different things. Use your experience to evaluate bids; think in terms of price, but also all other sources of information available:
- Professional profile and work done to date
- Review ratings gained from work carried out for other Buyers
- Consultant's approach taken in terms of questions asked, responses given and overal professionalism conveyed.
Note newer consultants shouldn’t be penalised for a lack of rankings. Their approach and profiles will aid selection.
If you feel more time is required to make a selection you may extend the project closure date.
Seek a contractual agreement with your preferred Consultant
In most cases you will require a written service contract to be agreed. Once you have a preferred consultant in mind ask them to sign up to a written contact. You should take professional advice here. Typically the agreement will cover:
- Confidentiality/non-disclosure and copyright
- The service to be provided: scope, deliverables, warranties etc
- Price, timescales, performance awards etc
- Reporting, progress reviews, communications
- Other eventualities
Alternatively the consultant may offer an engagement letter, where the nature of the service being provided suits this type of agreement.
The private message board should be adequate for these communications. Pro forma contractual agreement frameworks can be provided as examples on request, but note that these are not tailored to your particular situation. Professional advice should be sought.
Accept a bid
Once you have considered all the bids made and evaluated the approaches each offers, accept the one you are most happy with. This will close the project for bidding and the winning bidder will be automatically notified.
Pay Project Commissions
Project fees will be automatically deducted once a project bid is accepted. In the case of a featured project the fee will have been collected when the project was posted. You must ensure that sufficient funds are in your account to cover the fees due. See terms of service.
Transfer project bid funds to escrow
Where the project operates with escrow payment terms, the agreed bid is required to be paid into the escrow account. Funds can only be released to the consultant by you. The consultant will be able to see the funds in escrow which enhances the level of trust between the parties.
Monitor Project’s Progress
Managing the project: agree how to communicate, when progress updates will occur, diarise the project milestone dates and provide any information and materials required to perform the project in a timely manner. Pay instalments promptly when agreed against project milestones. Document any amendments via the private message boards, so both parties maintain a record and indicate their agreement to them.
Take Delivery
Review the service that has been delivered along with any documentation and instructions. Promptly query any issues. If applicable, test out the product and report any failings along with precise test scripts used to carry out the test evaluation.
Confirm Acceptance
It is good practice to confirm acceptance as soon as practicable as a sign-off to the project.
Release funds from Escrow
Go to your account area and release the funds held in Escrow. Alternatively if the project did not operate under escrow, transfer the funds from your account to the consultant.
Complete the Consultant's Review Form
This is very important for consultants as it provides buyers with a useful assessment of their work quality. This is also required to release funds to consultants when then wish to withdraw funds. Therefore this is a requirement for all members. The link to this form is in your member's account area.
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