Procurement Planning and Solicitation
Start with need, not with paper
Planning converts a recognized need into a defensible acquisition strategy. Candidates must know the sequence: define the requirement in outcome terms, estimate value (aggregate the whole contract, including options and renewals, to pick the correct method), choose the procurement method, select the solicitation instrument, and set the evaluation scheme before release.
Key concepts: statement of work versus specifications (performance-based descriptions invite innovation; prescriptive specs narrow competition), market research and its role in justifying restrictive requirements, the difference between a solicitation and a contract, and the tradeoff between competition and administrative cost. Know that evaluation criteria and their relative weights must be stated in the solicitation; criteria invented after receipt are indefensible.
Traps
The most common trap is a scenario that asks which step comes first when the answer is "conduct market research" or "develop the statement of work," not "issue the solicitation." A second trap is value aggregation: splitting a purchase to stay under a threshold is prohibited, and questions often disguise that as "phasing." A third trap confuses a requirement to publicize a solicitation with the separate question of whether a pre-proposal conference is mandatory. Finally, watch for questions that treat brand-name specifications as automatically acceptable; they require written justification.
Worked rule of thumb
If a question describes a restrictive specification, ask: "Was the restriction justified in writing before the solicitation was released?" If the facts do not say so, the restriction is the defect. For method selection, total the base term plus all options and renewals first, then compare that single number to the threshold.