Point Rated Evaluation Criteria

Point-rated evaluation criteria are criteria used to determine the relative technical merit of proposals and the best overall value to the Crown. They identify value-added factors and give evaluators a way to assess and distinguish one proposal from another. The Treasury Board Secretariat sets this out in its evaluation criteria guidance.

In Canadian federal procurement, point-rated criteria sit alongside mandatory criteria but do a different job. Mandatory criteria set the minimum requirements a bid must meet. Point-rated criteria assign marks, usually under a stated scoring scale, so that evaluators can compare bids that already comply. The term is not an abbreviation. It is a Canadian public-procurement evaluation concept, and you will also see it called rated criteria or technical evaluation criteria.

How point-rated criteria differ from mandatory criteria

A mandatory criterion is pass or fail. A bid that does not meet it is not compliant. A point-rated criterion is scored, so a bid can earn more or fewer marks depending on what it demonstrates. In a review of Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman found that only bids meeting the mandatory criteria were subject to point rating.

What typically earns points

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) explains in its guidance for bidders that point-rated criteria evaluate value-added factors beyond the mandatory requirements. The examples it gives are:

• Strategy and principles
• Methodology
• Company experience
• Experience of the team or individual resources
• Facilities and equipment

A review of Department of National Defence procurement describes rated criteria that award points on a scale for factors such as a faster vehicle, a higher education level or greater experience. The Ombudsman's review shows how the same approach applies to goods and to people.

Scoring scales, thresholds and the order of evaluation

The Treasury Board Secretariat recommends a clear marking scale tied to defined levels of demonstration, and a minimum passing score can also be set. Solicitations can require a minimum overall score, a minimum score on individual criteria, or both, as the Health Canada review documents.

The usual sequence is as follows:

• The bid is checked against every mandatory requirement.
• The bid is scored against the point-rated criteria and must reach any minimum rated score.
• Price is considered only for bids that pass the first two stages.

A review of Fisheries and Oceans Canada found that failing at either of the first two stages could disqualify the bid. The Ombudsman's report describes this sequence.

Rules for how buyers must write them

For professional services, PSPC's bid solicitation preparation guidance requires the solicitation to identify the mandatory technical criteria and, where applicable, the point-rated evaluation criteria. The point-rated criteria must be consistent with the statement of work and must clearly describe the requirement. The scoring rules must produce a defined score. A solicitation states the maximum points available for each rated criterion and any minimum thresholds, and responses are evaluated using the published methodology.

What this means for a supplier

Satisfy every mandatory requirement first, then answer each point-rated criterion with the evidence the solicitation asks for. Organize the response against each criterion and each scoring level, and do not simply assert compliance, because these criteria exist to separate otherwise compliant proposals. Check the stated maximum points and minimum thresholds before you start writing. A bid that falls short of a required minimum can be rejected before its price is ever looked at.