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VI Department of Property and Procurement DPP-PROC-001-2025 ~ Evaluation Committee Rules and Procedures ~ 02/5/2025 ~ Page | 1 EVALUATION COMMITTEE RULES AND PROCEDURES Officers and employees of the Government of the Virgin Islands (GVI) have a responsibility, as public servants, to observe and embody the highest standards of ethical conduct, which is critical to preserve the integrity of the GVI. Serving as a member of the Evaluation Committee is a serious responsibility that requires compliance with Territorial laws, rules and regulations, and policies and procedures. Evaluation Committee Members (Committee Members) are required to carry out and execute in good faith the established policies, procedures, and processes of the GVI in the service to our Territory. The Department of Property and Procurement (DPP) appreciates the Committee Members’ firm commitment to integrity, confidentiality, transparency, and timeliness during the evaluation process. General Rules Evaluation Committee members shall: 1. Have no personal interest or relationship with bidders/proposers, including business or financial ties. Any member having such an interest must declare it to the Committee Chairperson prior to participation in the evaluation process. 2. Have no contact with bidders/proposers. All contact shall be strictly through the Commissioner of Property and Procurement or his/her designee. There shall be no individual meetings, lunches, entertainment, or the like or any direct contact with bidders/proposers who have submitted offers once you have been appointed to the Evaluation Committee. 3. Decline all personal gifts, gratuities or anything of value from prospective bidders/proposers. Even appearances of such conflict must be avoided. 4. Report to the Committee Chairperson if any bidder/proposer offers a gift, gratuity or thing of value to the Evaluation Committee Member. 5. Keep all Evaluation Committee deliberations in confidence. 6. Perform a fair and impartial evaluation of all proposals and bids. 7. Grant all competitive bidders/proposers equal consideration, to regard each transaction on its own merits, foster and promote fair, ethical and legal trade practices. 8. Work to achieve a recommendation that will be in the best interest of the Government of the Virgin Islands, one that is fair and impartial to all bidders/proposers. Conflicts of Interest Title 3, Chapter 37 (Conflicts of Interest), Section 1102 of the Virgin Islands Code prohibits officers or employees of the GVI from having any interest financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, which conflicts with the discharge of his or her duties. Section 1102’s conflict-of-interest prohibition is applicable to Committee Members. Committee Members are required to follow GVI’s Code of Ethical Conduct found in Executive Order No. 540-2025, and the policies delineated in DPP’s Procurement Manual. Committee VI Department of Property and Procurement DPP-PROC-001-2025 ~ Evaluation Committee Rules and Procedures ~ 02/5/2025 ~ Page | 2 Members who violate these governing authorities may be subject to civil and criminal penalties, including those outlined in Title 3, Virgin Islands Code, Section 1108 as well as disciplinary action including but not limited to termination from employment. Confidentiality Evaluation Committee Members will receive emails, proposals, and other information relative to the solicitation referenced below that will contain proprietary and confidential information. These emails and proposals are intended for Evaluation Committee Members ONLY. It is strictly prohibited to share or otherwise disseminate, copy, download from the email, store on external drives or otherwise duplicate the email and its contents and attachments or any portion thereof. Evaluation Committee Members are entrusted with the responsibility to safeguard all proposals the member receives. Upon completion of the evaluation and award, Evaluation Committee Members agree to permanently delete all proposals and information received regarding the solicitation Evaluation of Bids/Proposals After the due date for bids and proposals, Evaluation Committee members will receive communication from the Committee Chairperson, scheduling an Evaluation Meeting. Once the Evaluation Meeting is scheduled, Evaluation Committee members will receive a copy of these Evaluation Committee Rules and Procedures. Once signed and returned by the proposed members, Evaluation Committee members will receive proposals and any other related documents to the solicitation. If a proposed member does not complete and sign the Evaluation Committee Rules and Procedures, he/she will not be allowed to serve on the Evaluation Committee and shall not receive any materials related to the project. At the scheduled Evaluation Committee meeting, the Evaluation Committee shall review and discuss bids/proposals. For rating RFPs/RFQs only, each Evaluation Committee Member is required to complete the RFP Selection Committee Rating Form. It is critical to note that pursuant to DPP’s Procurement Manual at Section 9.7, “Each member of the Evaluation Committee with the exception of the Chairperson, shall independently complete the selection committee rating form.” The Rating Form must be submitted to the Committee Chairperson prior to the end of the Committee Meeting. Only in an emergency situation shall the Committee Member be allowed to submit the Rating Form after conclusion of the meeting but in no event shall the submission time be extended to more than one (1) business day. Virtual Meeting Rules In participating in Evaluation Committee meetings, Evaluation Committee members shall: 1. Be punctual. Join the Microsoft Teams meeting at least five (5) minutes prior to the start of the Evaluation Committee meeting. 2. Maintain confidentiality. Do not share, disseminate, or copy bids/proposals or any confidential/proprietary information. 3. Ensure that no other unauthorized person is in the same room, exposed to, or can hear the contents of the meeting. Only Evaluation Committee Members, approved by the User Agency Head, may attend the meeting. It is strictly prohibited to allow non-committee members access to Evaluation Committee deliberations and information. 4. Choose an appropriate meeting space or background. Attend the meeting in a room that has proper lighting or use a non-distracting Microsoft Teams virtual background. Do not drive or attend the meeting in a moving vehicle or other compromising space. VI Department of Property and Procurement DPP-PROC-001-2025 ~ Evaluation Committee Rules and Procedures ~ 02/5/2025 ~ Page | 3 5. Upon the commencement of the meeting: • Turn on the camera. Evaluation Committee members must be visible during the meeting. Proper positioning of the computer camera is required, which entails visibility of the member from chest to head. • Use mute when not speaking to reduce background noises. Join the meeting with the microphone on mute and unmute when speaking. • Acknowledge and agree to recording of the meeting, as applicable. • Refrain from eating (or drinking excessively) during the meeting. • Avoid distractions and multitasking. Focus solely on the meeting and refrain from checking emails and performing other tasks. 6. Dress appropriately and attend the meeting in business or business casual attire. 7. Avoid the use of mobile devices. Recommended devices for joining a Microsoft Teams Meeting include: a computer (desktop, laptop, or a device that establishes a stable connection). 8. Advise the meeting host as early as possible of any meeting time and date conflicts. Evaluation Reports Once the evaluation is completed, Evaluation Committee members will receive the Evaluation Report for review and signature. All Evaluation Committee members shall sign the Evaluation Report within one (1) business day. After all signatures are collected, the Evaluation Report is submitted to the DPP Commissioner for approval and subsequently distributed to Evaluation Committee members. Acknowledgment and Acceptance Failure to comply with the Evaluation Committee Rules and Procedures delineated herein and any other applicable rules, regulation, policies and procedures or the like, is a possible violation of Virgin Islands law and may be grounds for the imposition of fines and imprisonment for violators and discipline, including termination from employment. As a member of the Evaluation Committee, I have read, understand, and agree to comply with the three (3) pages of Evaluation Committee Rules and Procedures described herein. Committee Member Name: Committee Member Signature: Department: Date: SOLICITATION NO./TYPE PROJECT DESCRIPTION: