Queensland is different

Reviewing the Queensland Local Government tender box site the other day I realised how different Queensland is.  Across Australia there’s a well-used industry-standard acronym known by all participants – RFT - “Request For Tender”.  In Queensland, however, flying directly in the face of a National Competition Policy whose aims include making it easier for national businesses to do business nationally, the Queensland Chief Procurement Office has introduced a new term – ITO - “Invitation To Offer”.  It’s not as if this new term adds any information or clarity to the one it replaces.  As well the Australian standard GITC - “Government Information Technology Contracting” – framework, also intended to support national competition policy, has been hijacked by the Queenslanders who have introduced an entire accreditation superstructure known as GITC-5.  Yes, Queensland really is different.