Section 3-142-202 - Requests for information(a) At a minimum, a purchasing agency shall prepare a request for information prior to the development of a request for proposals to obtain community input and facilitate community planning activities. A request for information may also be prepared at any other time to facilitate a purchasing agency's planning activities and may be sent to any knowledgeable person or entity that the purchasing agency deems advisable.(b) Permissible subjects. A request for information may address any subject relevant to a purchasing agency's planning activities and in preparation for a solicitation, including but not limited to: (1) Long- and short-term goals and objectives, or the objective of a procurement;(2) The target population or clients to be served;(3) The services the purchasing agency anticipates may be necessary to achieve its goals and objectives;(4) Service specifications, feasibility, or cost; or(5) Request for expressions of interest to provide a service.(c) Form of request. At a minimum, a request for information shall be in writing and shall include: (1) The name of the state agency issuing the request;(2) A description of the information being sought;(3) The procedure for responding;(4) A statement that participation is optional, and is not required to respond to any subsequent procurement action a purchasing agency may take;(5) A statement that neither the purchasing agency nor the interested party responding has any obligation under the request for information; and(6) If applicable, other means by which the request for information is being solicited, including but not limited to an oral presentation, meeting, telephone survey, electronic media, or any combination of these methods.(d) Public notice. Public notice shall be given for all requests for information in accordance with section 3-141-407 and shall be posted for a minimum of seven days.(e) Waiver for good cause. When the nature and circumstances of the service and the community need remain unchanged, the head of a purchasing agency may waive compliance with the issuance of a request for information. The waiver shall be in writing and shall include justification for the waiver. The waiver shall be placed in the procurement file and also included in the request for proposals. Waivers shall not be granted for requests for information issued pursuant to subsection (f).(f) Federal grant applications. When utilizing a request for information to select a provider for inclusion in a federal grant application, the request for information shall include, but not be limited to: (1) The name of the state agency issuing the request;(2) A statement that the request is being issued for the purpose of including a provider or providers in a federal grant application which may result in a contract with the provider if the state is awarded;(3) A description of the service or services being sought;(4) The criteria by which applicants will be evaluated for selection;(5) The deadline by which responses to the request for information shall be submitted; and(6) Any other requirements that the purchasing agency deems relevant to the request.[Eff 6/19/99; am and comp JAN 23 2006] (Auth: HRS § 103F-106) (Imp: HRS § 103F-301)