You are managing a project with more than 130 procurement contracts.

Because of the number of contracts, your project team includes a procurement manager and a procurement assistant. Company policy requires that certain types of procurements be advertised to potential bidders by means of newspaper advertisements. The procurement assistant typically reviews the bids received and shortlists the suppliers for further review by the procurement team. During a meeting to review and select a vendor from the shortlisted suppliers, you discover that one of the suppliers is a company your cousin owns. Which of the following is your best course of action?

Because the procurement assistant prepared the short list, not you, you do not need disclose your relationship with the supplier and may continue to participate in the selection process Disclose your relationship with the provider and continue to participate in the selection process Ask the procurement manager to lead the vendor selection process for this contract and excuse yourself from the review Remove the supplier from the short list