The Practical Check
Use the supplied process to distinguish understanding an existing offer from changing its substance. Price and delivery concessions are still changes when volunteered. Identify the boundary; the authorized procurement owner decides what process can proceed. Protect supplier-specific information: common requirement clarifications and confidential offer answers are different records.
Your Starting Facts
Fictional purchase 40 units, USD. R1 permits resolving ambiguity; R2 price, quantity or delivery changes require a revision process opened by the procurement owner to all suppliers; R3 only that owner issues questions; R4 records every question/answer. Items:1 ask whether the offered 12-month warranty covers box and lid;2 ask price reduction 20 to 18 per unit;3 supplier volunteers free delivery if selected;4 ask whether offered 10-day delivery counts from order.
Worked Example
1 and 4 ask what existing words mean: proposed clarifications, routed through the procurement owner and recorded. 2 and 3 seek/offer substantive revisions; do not negotiate or accept them informally. The owner decides whether a permitted common revision process opens, while keeping competitors' confidential offer details private. Two clarifications plus two revisions = four items. Item 2 changes 40 x20 = 800 to 40 x18 = 720, an 80 reduction. A better price does not remove the process requirement. Actual procurement rules remain controlling outside this fiction.
Try the Judgment Exercise
Use the Checking Prompt
Copy this prompt into your own AI tool with non-sensitive inputs, then check the answer yourself. OpenAid does not send this text to an AI service.
Continue With the Resource
Continue the Related JourneyOptional Facilitator Note
New pair, fictional USD: A asks whether an existing 600 quote includes its stated 5 delivery; B asks to lower 600 to 560. Classify and route each.
Work Product: A resolves existing-price ambiguity; owner issues/records it. B requests a40 price reduction, a revision; owner decides any permitted process. Neither answer is invented or privately accepted. Source scope: UN handbook printed 101-102/108 distinguishes clarification, substantive changes and confidential offer information; edition date not established. CC 8 November 27, 2024 and decision guidance November 2, 2020 concern England/Wales controls. UK Procurement Act modification guidance, checked November 1, 2026, concerns covered contracts, not universal NGO rules. All checked that date. R1-R4/classification exercise are OpenAid fiction.
Debrief and Reasons
Which supplied fact supports the answer?
Separate evidence from inference.
What remains unknown or conditional?
Do not turn a learning answer into authority.
Source and Scope
- UN Procurement Practitioner's Handbook
Edition date not established; checked November 1, 2026; Printed101-102 common solicitation clarification/amendment;printed108/PDFindex109 offer clarification without price/substance change and confidential offer protection.
- Internal Financial Controls for Charities
updated November 27, 2024; 2.6 authorization compliance/review records;2.7 split duties;6.1 expenditure controls;8.1 fixed assets as relevant
- Making Decisions at a Charity
November 2, 2020; Records; delegation
- Guidance Contract Modifications
Current page checked November1,2026; Paragraphs 1-4
Fictional examples for practice. Completing an exercise does not certify competence.