What is Audit trail?
An audit trail is a time-stamped record of who did what in a tender or evaluation, so decisions can be traced, checked and defended later.
What is an audit trail?
An audit trail is a record of the actions taken on a tender, in the order they happened. It shows who did each action, when, and often what changed. In e-procurement it is usually kept by the system itself, so it is hard to alter.
In tender evaluation, the audit trail lets an auditor, a vigilance officer or a senior official see how a decision was reached without relying on memory.
What it records
- Publication of the tender, corrigenda and date extensions
- Bid submission and bid opening events, with time stamps
- Clarifications sought from bidders and replies received
- Evaluation entries, changes to them and who made them
- Approvals, rejections and the final award
Why it matters
Central government rules, including GFR 2017, generally expect buyers to keep proper records of procurement proceedings and the reasons for decisions. Vigilance guidance also stresses transparency. An audit trail is one practical way to meet these expectations, though the exact requirements depend on the organisation.
A paper file with signed notings serves the same purpose. Many buyers keep both: the portal’s system log and the official file.
Tips for buyers
Record decisions in the system or file when they are taken, not afterwards. Give reasons for any change to an evaluation entry, and make sure each user works under their own login.
Common questions
Common questions about Audit trail in government tenders.
It is the system’s time-stamped log of actions on a tender, such as publication, bid opening, evaluation entries and approvals, with the user who did each one.
Usually not in full. Portals often show bidders some events, such as bid opening status, but the internal log is for the buyer and auditors.
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