Development of the PRASA quality assurance strategy, governance framework and operating model (3 months)

Closing date: 2 October 2026 at 10:00

No briefing session will be held.

Returnable documents (all must be completed, signed and submitted):

• Completed and signed RFQ returnable schedules, declarations and all applicable Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs), including Commissioner of Oaths signatures where required.
• Signed Joint Venture, Consortium, Subcontracting or Partnering Agreement, where applicable; if not applicable, state 'Not applicable'.
• Original or certified B-BBEE certificate issued by a SANAS-accredited verification agency, or the applicable sworn affidavit for an EME or QSE; a JV/consortium must submit a combined certificate in the name of the JV/consortium.
• Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration number; bidders not registered on CSD may be afforded 14 days after the closing date to register, subject to PRASA procurement requirements.
• Valid SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN.
• CIPC company registration documents.
• Copies of directors' identity documents.
• Valid ISO 9001:2015 certificate.
• Valid ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 certificate.
• Valid ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate.
• Completed Annexure B: Key Resource Schedule (mandatory resources).
• Completed Annexure C: Contactable Reference Template (one form per reference, with signed client reference letters on client's letterhead).
• Completed Annexure D: Resource CV Cover for each mandatory resource.

Disqualification risks:

• Failure to submit any mandatory compliance document (Stage 1A) results in automatic disqualification.
• Failure to submit a basic compliance document (Stage 1B) may result in disqualification; PRASA may request the outstanding document within a specified period (e.g. 7 days) where permissible.
• Failure to submit or meet any mandatory technical requirement (Stage 1C) results in automatic disqualification.
• Bidders scoring below 70 points in Stage 2 will not proceed to Stage 3.
• Generic, uncustomised templates will not be accepted.

Evaluation stages:

• Stage 1A – Mandatory Compliance (Substantive Responsiveness): completion and signature of all RFQ documentation, declarations and SBDs; signed JV/consortium/subcontracting/partnering agreement where applicable. Failure results in automatic disqualification.
• Stage 1B – Basic Compliance (Administrative Responsiveness): B-BBEE certificate or affidavit, CSD registration, SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN, CIPC registration documents, copies of directors' ID documents. Failure may result in disqualification; PRASA may request outstanding documents within a specified period (e.g. 7 days).
• Stage 1C – Mandatory Technical Compliance: valid ISO 9001:2015, ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificates. Failure results in automatic disqualification.
• Stage 2 – Technical/Functionality: minimum threshold 70 points out of 100. Bidders scoring below the threshold will not proceed to Stage 3.
• Stage 3 – Pricing and Specific Goals: 80/20 preference point system. Maximum 80 points for price, 20 points for specific goals.

Price points formula: Ps = 80 [1 - ((Pt - Pmin) / Pmin)], where Ps = points scored for price under consideration, Pt = price under consideration, Pmin = price of lowest acceptable quotation.

Specific goals (20 points total, each 4 points):

• Black Women Owned – certified copies of owners' ID documents.
• Black Youth Owned – certified copies of owners' ID documents.
• Owned by Black People with Disabilities – certified copies of owners' ID documents and medical practitioner's confirmation of disability.
• B-BBEE Contributor Status Level 2 or better – valid B-BBEE certificate or applicable affidavit.
• EME or QSE with at least 51% Black Ownership – audited annual financial statements and/or valid B-BBEE certificate or applicable affidavit.

Stage 2 scoring (total 100 points):

• Relevant Company Experience: 40 points. Scoring bands: 0 references = 0; 1 compliant reference = 1; 2 = 2; 3 = 3; 4 = 4; 5 or more = 5 points. References must be recent, relevant, contactable, and cover a QA strategy, QA governance framework, QA operating model or QA Centre of Excellence design.
• Capability of Key Resources: 40 points. Scoring bands: 0 resources = 0; 1 = 1; 2 = 2; 3 = 3; 4 = 4; 5 = 5 points. Based on CVs, certified qualifications and applicable certifications.
• Technical Approach and Implementation Methodology: 20 points. Scoring bands: no write-up = 0; 2+ elements = 1; 4+ = 2; 6+ = 3; 8+ = 4; 10 elements = 5 points. Must cover maturity assessment, QA strategy, governance framework, operating model for CoE, policy and SOP framework, implementation roadmap, change management and training, risk management, quality review and knowledge transfer.

Scope: Develop a fit-for-purpose Quality Assurance (QA) Strategy, Governance Framework and Target Operating Model for PRASA.

Deliverables (with target weeks):

1. Inception Report and Project Plan – confirmed scope, stakeholders, information requirements, methodology, governance, risk register, detailed schedule and approval plan (Week 1).
2. Current-State and QA Maturity Assessment – baseline assessment, stakeholder findings, maturity rating, gap analysis, risks and prioritised recommendations (Week 2).
3. Enterprise QA Strategy – QA vision, principles, strategic objectives, scope, outcomes, success measures, dependencies and strategic roadmap (Week 4).
4. QA Governance Framework – governance model, decision rights, forums, RACI, quality gates, assurance, reporting, escalation, audit and exception controls (Week 5).
5. Target QA Operating Model and CoE Blueprint – recommended model, mandate, organisation and role design, POD/shared-services approach, engagement model, demand intake and service catalogue (Week 6).
6. QA Policy, Enterprise Test Strategy, Standards and SOP Pack – approved document hierarchy and the policies, standards, SOPs, templates and control artefacts required by the scope (Week 8).
7. Performance and Implementation Framework – KPIs/KRIs, service levels, reporting model, maturity framework, workforce and capability plan, and phased three-year implementation roadmap (Week 10).
8. Final Consolidated Pack, Approval Presentation and Handover – final approved artefacts, executive presentation, comment-resolution log, editable source files and knowledge-transfer sessions (Week 12).

Scope exclusions (unless approved through formal change control):

• Execution of functional or non-functional testing for PRASA projects or applications.
• Provision of a managed QA service or deployment of operational testing teams.
• Procurement, licensing, configuration or implementation of QA/testing platforms and tools.
• Resource augmentation for project delivery.
• Remediation, system development or implementation changes arising from assessment findings.

Standards alignment (tailored to PRASA, without unnecessary duplication):

• ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems
• ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 Information Technology Service Management Systems
• ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management Systems
• COBIT and ITIL governance and service management practices
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 and ISTQB principles where applicable
• PRASA ICT governance, SDLC, architecture, change, release and CAB processes
• Applicable legislation and regulatory requirements, including PFMA and POPIA

Service level requirements:

• Maintain a detailed project plan, risk and issue register, decision log and weekly written status report.
• Nominated lead resources must remain available for the duration of the assignment and attend all material workshops and governance presentations.
• Draft deliverables must be submitted in sufficient time for PRASA review, with at least two structured review and revision cycles.
• Consolidated PRASA comments must be acknowledged within one business day, and an agreed response or revised deliverable provided within three business days, unless otherwise agreed.
• All working papers, research, templates and final artefacts developed under this RFQ become PRASA property upon payment.
• Preserve confidentiality, comply with PRASA security and access requirements, and obtain approval before sharing PRASA information externally.
• Any deviation from approved scope, timeline, resources or approach must be submitted through formal change control and approved in writing by PRASA.

Payment will be linked to formal written acceptance of agreed deliverables.

No other financial requirements (bid security, bonds, guarantees, retention, payment terms) are stated.

Mandatory compliance (Stage 1A):

• Completion and signature of all RFQ documentation, declarations and Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs), including Commissioner of Oaths signatures where required.
• Signed Joint Venture, Consortium, Subcontracting or Partnering Agreement, where applicable.

Basic compliance (Stage 1B):

• B-BBEE certificate or applicable sworn affidavit (EME/QSE); combined certificate for JV/consortium.
• CSD registration number (14 days allowed post-closing to register).
• Valid SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN.
• CIPC company registration documents.
• Copies of directors' identity documents.

Mandatory technical compliance (Stage 1C):

• Valid ISO 9001:2015 certificate.
• Valid ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 certificate.
• Valid ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate.