Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified external service provider to conduct a re-certification audit of the National Health Laboratory Service’s (NHLS) Information Technology (IT) department against the ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) standard. The audit aims to verify ongoing compliance, assess operational effectiveness, and support the continuation of ISO certification for IT services delivered at the Sandringham corporate campus and associated regional offices.

Scope

The audit covers the full IT function, comprising approximately 122 staff members distributed across the corporate headquarters and six regional area offices. The scope encompasses the evaluation of numerous critical IT processes and workflows, including:

• Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Business Workspace solutions
• Information Knowledge Management (IKM) and workflow automation
• Project Management Office (PMO) governance and Prince2 methodologies
• Data centre operations, backup strategies, and disaster recovery planning
• Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) access, business intelligence dashboards, and Netezza database connectivity
• Network security, firewall management, and remote/VPN access controls
• IT Service Management (ITSM), call logging, and device configuration
• User account provisioning, security groups, and Microsoft/Oracle systems management
• Laboratory Information System (LIS) software development lifecycle and interface testing
• Change Advisory Board (CAB) policies, tender processing, and invoice receipting

Technical Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate the capacity to deliver a comprehensive ISO 9001 QMS re-certification audit aligned with the specified processes and geographic distribution. Mandatory technical and administrative submissions include:

• Completion of all prescribed Standard Bidding Documents (SBDs), including SBD 4 (Declaration of Interest) and SBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim Form)
• A signed acceptance of the General Conditions of Contract (GCC)
• A valid Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN or Tax Clearance Certificate issued by the South African Revenue Service (SARS)
• Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration number or updated CSD summary report
• A sworn B-BBEE affidavit or verified B-BBEE certificate, depending on enterprise size
• Quotations must be submitted in South African Rand (ZAR), remain valid for 90 days, and include all labour, materials, travel, supervision, and overhead costs; VAT is to be quoted separately
• Evaluation follows a two-stage process: administrative compliance screening, followed by a price and specific goals assessment utilising the PPPFA 80/20-point system

Skills Requirements

The successful bidder must deploy lead auditors and technical specialists with demonstrable expertise in ISO 9001 QMS audits within complex IT environments. Required competencies include:

• Proven experience conducting ISO 9001 re-certification audits for large-scale IT departments or healthcare technology divisions
• Deep technical knowledge of enterprise IT infrastructure, data warehousing, cybersecurity frameworks, ITIL-aligned service management, and software development lifecycles
• Ability to coordinate cross-regional audit activities across multiple provinces and facility types
• Strong analytical, reporting, and stakeholder communication skills to document findings, identify non-conformities, and recommend corrective actions
• Submission of detailed auditor curricula vitae, proof of professional auditing certifications, and a verifiable list of similar contracts executed over the past five years

Key Terms & Explanations

ISO 9001 QMS Re-certification Audit: A formal, third-party assessment conducted at the conclusion of a certification cycle to verify that an organisation’s quality management system continues to meet international standards and remains fit for purpose before recertification is granted.

PPPFA 80/20 Preference Point System: A South African public procurement scoring mechanism allocating 80 points to competitive pricing and 20 points to socio-economic transformation goals, such as Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status, Exempted Micro Enterprises (EME), Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSE), and ownership by historically disadvantaged individuals in townships or rural areas.

CSD Registration: A mandatory national supplier registration system managed by the South African government to centralise vendor data, streamline procurement, and ensure transparency in state contracting.

SARS Tax Compliance PIN: A unique verification code issued by the South African Revenue Service confirming that a taxpayer meets all statutory tax obligations, required for eligibility in government procurement processes.