Table AIII

List and rating of activities

PracticeIDActivity nameMean rating
P11.02Develop tools and templates (e.g. contract templates, supplier database, performance evaluation checklist)3.67
P11.10Set up framework agreements (non-binding contracts for longer duration which are ready-to-use in case of need)3.63
P11.08Perform regular assessments of service provider market (e.g. searching for new providers, market prices, cost structure of providers)3.56
P11.09Run pre-qualification and pre-selection procedures (e.g. request for information, to have reference list of ready-to-use providers)3.56
P11.03Train employees on outsourcing (e.g. on tender processes, contracting, vendor management)3.52
P11.06Exchange best practices and templates with other humanitarian organizations3.52
P11.01Develop guidelines and standard operating procedures for outsourcing (e.g. process descriptions, approval workflows)3.50
P11.05Perform regular lessons learnt sessions within team to enable organizational learning3.46
P11.04Establish internal group of experts for outsourcing of logistics (e.g. in central procurement offices)3.08
P11.07Engage professional (external) support for outsourcing (e.g. experts for tender process or contract design)2.76
P22.02Develop exact understanding of service needs and requirements3.65
P22.03Source multiple alternative providers for same service (e.g. to reduce risks)3.56
P22.07Perform regular risk analysis and develop contingency plans (e.g. availability of alternative providers)3.56
P22.08Discuss and plan fallback options (=plan B) with providers (e.g. alternative routes for transportation)3.48
P22.04Negotiate with providers based on consolidated demands (e.g. across areas or countries)3.42
P22.01Align plan for engagement of logistics providers with overall logistics strategy3.35
P22.05Coordinate service purchases with other aid agencies (e.g. alignment of plans to avoid competition or joint tendering of services to increase bargaining power)3.22
P22.06Plan budget for handling of challenges during engagements3.08a
P22.09Negotiate prices for potential future service requirements with provider (even if these services are not required right away)3.00a
P33.08Carefully document every purchase (from request to decision)3.78
P33.02Allow exceptions from general process for urgent or emergency procurements (with adequate approval workflow)3.67
P33.05In case of emergencies, send request for proposal only to limited number of providers (minimum three)3.52
P33.07Involve tender committee to steer procurement for long-term and framework agreements3.48
P33.03Use open tenders for long-term and framework agreements (i.e. publication of request for tender)3.46
P33.04In case of one-time services (e.g. single transport order), send request for proposal only to limited number of providers (minimum three)3.44
P33.06Use direct negotiations with providers (without competitive bidding process) only in cases of very high urgency3.23a
P33.01Align service procurement process with public procurement regulations and donor requirements3.11a
P44.02Specify detailed service expectations and requirements when sending request for proposal (e.g. deadlines, technical specifications, documentation requirements)3.81
P44.03Describe details of bidding process when sending request for proposal (e.g. administrative requirements, timeline)3.74
P44.04Describe selection and decision process when sending request for proposal (e.g. relevant selection criteria)3.56
P44.01Highlight context of operation and specifics of humanitarian operation when sending request for proposal (urgency, criticality, etc.)3.52
P44.06Attach questionnaire to gather further information on provider when sending request for proposal (e.g. company information, experience, customer references)3.44
P44.05Attach standardized bid template when sending request for proposal (which can be used by providers for making their bid)3.33
P44.07Attach draft contract when sending request for proposal 
P55.08Perform background checks on provider (e.g. regarding independence, legal compliance, working conditions, financial health)3.70
P55.06Ask providers for track records (credentials) and customer references3.44
P55.09Perform site visits, physical checks (e.g. of trucks) and field assessments3.37
P55.05Ask for recommendations within own network (other aid agencies, suppliers, service providers, local authorities)3.33
P55.02Approach as many potential providers with a request for proposal (or quotation) as possible (minimum three)3.30
P55.03Leave enough time for service providers to respond to request for proposal (or quotation)3.26
P55.01Ensure good media support for publication of open tenders3.15
P55.07Perform bid presentations and questioning of representatives3.15
P55.04Develop understanding of preferred type of logistics service provider (e.g. rather small or big, international or local, asset-based or non-asset-based providers)3.04
P55.10Test new providers before full engagement (e.g. in less important operations or with short contract durations)3.04
P66.04Include service-level agreements and performance indicators into the contract (e.g. deadlines, response times)3.67
P66.08Describe detailed provider responsibilities in contract (e.g. documentation, reporting)3.67
P66.03Describe scope of services in detail in contract (e.g. in-scope vs out-of-scope)3.63
P66.09Describe indemnities, liquidated damages or penalties in contract (e.g. for product damages or theft)3.59
P66.05Describe structure of service fees and payment terms in contract3.52
P66.06Include duration of contract and rules for contract extension in contract3.52
P66.11Include provisions for adjustments and termination of contract3.44
P66.14Include code-of-conduct and data protection clauses (e.g. non-disclosure agreement) into the contract3.41
P66.12Clarify process for arbitration of disputes in contract3.38
P66.10Regulate insurance coverage in contract3.37
P66.13Clarify legal framework (e.g. court of jurisdiction, governing law) in contract3.33
P66.07Describe mode of cooperation in contract (e.g. ordering process, planning process)3.15
P66.02Describe context of operation and specifics of humanitarian mission in contract (e.g. urgency, criticality)2.85
P66.01For one-time services (e.g. single transport orders), limit contract to most important elements (e.g. by e-mail confirmation)2.59
P77.03Define adequate documentation as precondition for payments (e.g. provision of waybills)3.70
P77.01Avoid payments in advance3.08a
P77.05Design contracts as open-book (i.e. providing full transparency on true cost of provider)3.04a
P77.02Design service fee as performance based (i.e. decrease of service fee for performance below target)2.92a
P77.04Offer (automatic) contract extensions for satisfactory performance2.50a
P88.10Avoid communicating sensitive data to provider (e.g. beneficiary lists, budget)3.62
P88.04In longer-term contracts, include sufficient provisions for termination of contract (e.g. because of funding issues, end of mission)3.56
P88.06Obtain written commitment of provider to adhere to agreed service fees (e.g. by using fixed price contracts)3.56
P88.03In longer-term contracts, avoid exclusivity clauses (i.e. restriction to single service providers)3.54
P88.05In longer-term contracts, include future price adjustments according to market valuation (e.g. alignment with best published price)3.38
P88.08Avoid (impression of) too close personal relationships with provider (e.g. because of potential criticism of bribes)3.37
P88.07Have all contracts reviewed by legal expert3.35
P88.09Follow-up in written on all oral communication to have proof of conversation3.30
P88.02In longer-term contracts, avoid volume commitments (e.g. minimum service volume)3.22
P88.01Set short contract duration (e.g. one-time services) in case of high uncertainty (e.g. economic volatility, chaotic situations, at the beginning of an operation)2.85a
P99.01Monitor execution of activities by service provider (e.g. status tracking)3.56
P99.02Perform inspections and audits (e.g. product quality, documentation compliance)3.56
P99.09Maintain record of performance for each provider3.50
P99.04Use a limited number of qualitative and quantitative performance indicators3.35
P99.03Run performance review in regular intervals (e.g. in fixed time intervals or at milestones)3.30
P99.07Measure provider against benchmarks (e.g. best-performing service provider)3.23
P99.06Involve provider in definition of performance metrics3.15
P99.08Involve multiple people into evaluation of service (e.g. recipient of deliveries)3.11
P99.05Set up performance metrics which measure “humanitarian performance” (no business-as-usual KPIs)3.04
P1010.10Always keep own commitments (e.g. compliance of promised payments)3.78
P1010.09Be flexible if changes to agreed terms are required3.28
P1010.11Share projections (e.g. future service demands) with provider3.28
P1010.03Give feedback to loosing tenderers on rejection decision (e.g. reason of rejection)3.27
P1010.05Review the contract in detail together with the service provider3.27
P1010.07Define relationship manager on both sides (management level)3.26
P1010.01In case of open publication of service request, additionally send direct invite to important providers3.04a
P1010.04Set up contracts with “longer duration” (e.g. multiple months)3.04a
P1010.06Explain specifics of humanitarian context to managerial and operational staff of provider in person3.04
P1010.02Preferentially select providers with which you have experience in working together2.96a
P1010.08Have selected staff of provider working in your organization for some time2.58a
P1111.01Negotiate and fix fair service fees (which allow adequate profits for provider)3.20
P1111.02In longer-term contracts, include future price adjustments based on official cost index (e.g. fuel price index)3.15a
P1111.08Acknowledge good performances of provider (e.g. in letter of reference or letter of acknowledgment)3.15
P1111.05Link service fees to actual costs of service provider (e.g. cost-plus contract)2.57
P1111.03Design service fee as performance based (i.e. increase of service fee for performance above target)2.44a
P1111.07Let provider benefit from publicity (“humanitarian image”)2.40a
P1111.10Make faster payments in case of good performance2.23a
P1111.04Offer (automated) contract extensions for satisfactory performance2.08a
P1111.06Guarantee fixed minimum payment to provider (independent of transaction volume)2.04a
P1111.09Reward service provider team with gifts (e.g. family trips)1.08
P1212.03Communicate frequently, honestly and transparently3.67
P1212.01Define and document contact persons and numbers with 24/7 availability on both sides (incl. backups)3.50
P1212.08Work together to find joint solutions for issues and challenges and support provider on his tasks3.37
P1212.05Proactively share all relevant information with provider3.33
P1212.09Provide continuous performance feedback to provider and conduct regular lessons learnt sessions with provider3.30
P1212.10Involve provider in internal training (e.g. standard operating procedures, best practices)3.00a
P1212.02Involve provider in logistics planning of operation2.92a
P1212.04Work face to face whenever possible2.92a
P1212.06Exchange information with provider through electronic data interchange (EDI)2.76
P1212.07Allow provider access to parts of own IT system (e.g. for warehouse services)2.21a

Notes: Scale: 1 – not useful; 2 – somewhat useful; 3 – useful; 4 – very useful. aNo consensus among panelists (IQR>1.0 and/or rwg⩽0.3)

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