A procurement framework is a set of policies, procedures, and guidelines that govern the acquisition of goods and services from external sources. A procurement framework best facilitates the standardization of IT vendor selection, because it helps to ensure that the IT vendor selection process is consistent, transparent, fair, and efficient. A procurement framework also helps to define the roles and responsibilities, criteria and methods, documentation and reporting, and monitoring and evaluation of the IT vendor selection process. A procurement framework can help to reduce the risks, costs, and complexity of IT vendor selection, and to increase the quality, value, and performance of IT vendors. References := Software Selection, Page 2.