The government has roped in experts from the IIMs to examine whether public-private-partnership projects in roads, ports, and power and railway sectors would require separate request for qualification (RFQ) documents. The RFQ which is a major component for the model concession agreement (MCA) is stated to be the cause of delays since there is a common RFQ for all infrastructure projects.

The complexities of the common RFQ have also led to controversies over short listing procedures and projects delayed due to litigations. Doubts have been raised whether the 'one size fits all' approach of the RFQ is suitable to the bidding process of all sectors or not, according to official sources. “We are facing huge delays in the award of contracts solely due to the complexity of the RFQ”, an official in the department of road transport and highways said.

Under the present format, the RFQ allows short listing of only six of the largest infrastructure players for any single project. Consequently even if a player lacks expertise in, say, roads sector, it may bag the project on the grounds that it has immense experience in other areas such as ports, power, and airports. Thus in many cases it becomes difficult to award projects to the technically more competent. As far as road projects are concerned, there are a large number of players some of which have been in the business for decades. But when larger players involved in port or power projects bid, they get more points at the RFQ stage and small players are left out.

An official in an infrastructure consulting firm says,  “in any bidding process the larger players get more points as they have more exposure in various sectors largely on account of their financial size.”

It is taking as much as six months to shortlist players after inviting RFQs after which the request for proposal (RFP) stage is to be undertaken as per the stipulations under the model concession agreement.