dIGITAL ECONOMY legal update 10 Mar 2020 Updates to Queensland Government ICT Standing Offer Arrangements

What you need to know

1. Invitation to Offer – Standing Offer Arrangements;
2. SOA Details (including SOA Conditions);
3. SOA QITC General Contract (Details and Conditions);
4. SOA QITC Comprehensive Contract (Details and Conditions); and
5. Guidance Notes for SOA.

The new SOA documentation has been simplified, reduces duplication and introduces more alignment with the QITC framework than previously. 

What you need to do

• Familiarise yourself with the new documents.
• Make sure you use the new documents together as a package. It is no longer correct to use the QITC equivalent templates.

Key changes to the QITC SOA framework

The QITC SOA suite of documents have been updated, simplified and streamlined.

The diagram below shows how the parts of the previous SOA documentation have been translated across into the new SOA documentation.

The main structural difference is that there is just one document that comprises the SOA. There is no longer the need to refer off to other documents, like the SOA Conditions or even the contract/module conditions. They are all in the one spot.

In relation to the new Part D of the SOA, specific template contracts have been developed for use under the SOA. They can be identified because they incorporate "SOA" into their title. These are largely based on the QITC equivalent templates, which should make it easier for people to use who are familiar with those documents.  A key change to note is some of the underling QITC equivalent clauses have been amended so that the Contract aligns and works with the SOA. The majority of these changes have come across from the old Part B of the SOA Conditions. An explanation of the changes that have been made is included in the Guidance Notes.

ITO

A new Invitation to Offer for SOAs has also been released. It applies only to SOAs, and has removed the drafting in the previous template ITO which allowed that document to also be used for one off Contracts.

Benefits of the new framework

The new SOA framework and the updates to the QITC suite of documents have simplified and streamlined the Queensland Government's ICT procurement process. The timely reforms are welcomed as they come just over two years after the Government's reform of the GITC to the QITC and more closely align the SOA framework of documents with their QITC equivalents.

Authors: Amanda Ludlow, Partner; and Clare Doneley, Counsel.