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napolik

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  1. During my career, I told my subordinates to do what their bosses direct unless the subordinates believe the action to be illegal or immoral. In those cases, I directed that they prepare the document or action for the boss to sign or take. There were a couple of instances when my subordinates objected to a source selection decision. I signed the decision and the contract. Fortunately, for me, none of my bosses insisted that I take an action I believed to be illegal or immoral.
  2. My answer is “Yes” assuming agencies’ management are willing to use the BA procedures and assuming the agencies’ workforces are trained to use them. I never negotiated a contract using 36.6 procedures, but I used variants when using FAR 8.4 procedures: I am not sure that many agencies would use them because the various agencies’ workforces are trained merely to apply procedures to implement a process, not to achieve results. It is my unscientifically proven opinion that the majority of agencies do not seek to negotiate the substance. They seek to conduct only FAR 15.3 type exchanges pertinent to proposal weaknesses and deficiencies. The biggest problems would arise from the unwillingness and inability of agencies’ managements, supervisors and contract specialists to identify and negotiate good deals. Most agencies would prefer to avoid the exercise of discretion and to expand the scope of automated procurement systems so that they could evaluate proposals, identify compliant proposals, conduct exchanges and make source selections.
  3. FAR 12.102, Applicability, states that Quote (a) This part shall be used for the acquisition of supplies or services that meet the definition of commercial items at 2.101. (b) Contracting officers shall use the policies in this part in conjunction with the policies and procedures for solicitation, evaluation and award prescribed in Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures; Part 14, Sealed Bidding; or Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation, as appropriate for the particular acquisition. Unquote FAR 12.207, Contract Type, states at (b) (1) (ii) (C) (3) that Quote When making a change that modifies the general scope of— (i) A contract, follow the procedures at 6.303; (ii) An order issued under the Federal Supply Schedules, follow the procedures at 8.405-6; or (iii) An order issued under multiple award task and delivery order contracts, follow the procedures at 16.505(b)(2). Unquote Question: Given FAR 12.102(b), why does FAR Part 12 address issues involving FAR 8.4 and 16.5?
  4. When evaluating proposals for the award of multiple award contracts, it is common to use “sample” task orders to obtain technical and price information you will use to make source selections. Afterwards, the agency issues the solicitation and evaluated proposals for the first “real” task order. There is no reason why you cannot use the evaluation of first “real” task order as the basis for making your multiple award contract source selections and for issuing your first task order. In your Section M, tell the potential offerors You will award multiple award contracts based upon your evaluation of technical and price proposals for the first task order to be issued under the contracts. You will also award the first task order under the multiple award contracts at the same time you award the contracts.
  5. Monsieur Edwards has addressed this issue in a WIFCON blog post here: http://www.wifcon.com/anal/analcomproc.htm. He offers much sound advice. Here is one extract: Quote Do not follow the FAR Part 15 Process Model when making simplified acquisitions. When using simplified acquisition procedures to buy complex supplies or services worth in excess of $25,000 and for which a synopsis must be published, and if planning to ask for more information than just a price quote, either: (a) select one firm for one-on-one negotiations based on experience, past performance and a price quote and then negotiate to agreement on details, or (b ) narrow the competitive field of competitors on the basis of experience, past performance and a price quote before asking for more detailed proposal information, providing a specification or statement of work and clauses for price quote development by fax or email. Do not use FAR Part 15 terminology or refer to FAR Part 15 in the RFQ. Do not establish a competitive range, negotiate with more than one firm at a time, or solicit revised quotes or offers from more than one competitor. Unquote
  6. You can evaluate the -8 option in several ways: 1) you can state that the final -9 option period will be multiplied by 50% and that the result will be added to the valuated prices for the base period and all -9 option periods; 2) you can ask the contractor to propose prices for the six months following the end of the last -9 option period and add them to the evaluated price for the base and -9 option periods; or 3) you can get prices for multiple 6 month periods corresponding to the end of the base period and each -9 options. I like option 1 as a) GAO will allow it, 2) it is easy, and 3) it probably reflects the most beneficial outcome for the government in terms of price, performance and minimal admin burden.
  7. Check out this site: https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/ContractLawDocLib. Specifically, see the links for 2014 Contract Attorneys Deskbook and Contract Law Presentations.
  8. Unfortunately, there seems to be an inverse correlation between keystrokes and professional knowledge. There was a time when one had to read the ASPR, DAR or FAR to create solicitation and contract documents. Reading the regulations to create the documents caused one to become knowledgeable in the provisions and clauses. But, that was last millennium. Now the automated procurement systems relieve 1102s of the obligation and benefits of reading the regulations. Once a Luddite, always a Luddite.
  9. Don, The GAO considers 5 things when reviewing protests involving price realism: 1. If the solicitation doesn't provide for an eval of realism, the agency is not required to do so. 2. If the solicitation doesn't provide for the eval of realism, the agency must not evaluate realism. 3) If the solicitation provides for the evaluation of the realism of proposed prices, the agency must perform the analysis. Even if the solicitation doesn't use the term "price realism", an analysis is required if (1) the agency will consider if the proposed price is adequate/too low for the proposed tech approach and (2) the solicitation reserves the right to reject proposals or assess risk if the price is too low. 4. If FAR 52.222-46 requires agencies to assess the realism of professional compensation plans, it must do so. 5. If the solicitation provides for the evaluation of price realism, the agency has the discretion as to the manner and depth of the realism eval. See the Ralph White slides on realism here: https://www.acc.com/chapters/ncr/upload/Slides-BidProtest2015.pdf. I would require that the realism evaluation be stated explicitly in Section M, or its non-UCF equivalent. And, the section M factors must correspond to Section L submission requirements. I do not like solicitations that diffuse factors throughout the solicitation, particularly when they are buried in a clause incorporated by reference.. I wonder how many small businesses would read FAR clauses incorporated by reference and discover an eval factor in 52.222-46? XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX PS: Apparently, small businesses are not the only organizations susceptible to overlooking clauses incorporated by reference. It seems the Army did too, in at least one instance. Look at the first complete paragraph on page 26 of this COFC decision: http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/ALLEGRA.CRASSOCIATES011812.pdf.
  10. As I remember this thread, there is no mention in Section M of how the labor rate data will be assessed. What evaluation factor will be used to assess the compensation plan? Will FAR 22.103 be cited in a section M factor? The last sentence of 22.103 says : "Plans indicating unrealistically low professional employee compensation may be assessed adversely as one of the factors considered in making an award." The last paragraph of FAR 52.222-46 says: "Failure to comply with these provisions may constitute sufficient cause to justify rejection of a proposal." I think a section M factor is needed, but the GAO disagrees with me "In the context of a fixed-price labor hour contract...". Quote As discussed above, FAR clause 52.222-46 states that the agency will evaluate an offeror’s proposed compensation plan "to assure that it reflects a sound management approach and understanding of the contract requirements," and further states that the evaluation "will include an assessment of the offeror’s ability to provide uninterrupted high-quality work." FAR § 52.222-46(a). As relevant here, the clause also states that the compensation plan "will be considered in terms of its impact upon recruiting and retention, its realism, and its consistency with a total plan for compensation." Id. In the context of a fixed-price labor hour contract, our Office has held that this FAR clause anticipates an evaluation of whether an awardee understands the contract requirements, and has proposed a compensation plan appropriate for those requirements--in effect, a price realism evaluation regarding an offeror’s proposed compensation. See Apptis Inc., B-403249, B-403249.3, Sept. 30, 2010, 2010 CPD ¶ 237 at 9. The depth of an agency’s price realism analysis is a matter within the sound exercise of the agency’s discretion. Navistar Defense, LLC; BAE Sys., Tactical Vehicles Sys. LP, B-401865 et al., Dec. 14, 2009, 2009 CPD ¶ 258 at 17. Unquote Portfolio Management Solutions, LLC; Competitive Choice, Inc., B-408846; B-408846.4, December 12, 2013. Live and learn!
  11. I cannot understand why the CO is asking for detailed rate info in a competitive environment. Assuming competition exists, price reasonableness is an easy determination to make. If the CO is concerned about excessively low rates, then different issues arise. Typically, requests for price breakdowns in competitive procurements are associated with price realism assessments. If price realism is the CO's concern, he or she needs to announce a price realism eval factor. Absent a factor for price realism (i.e. assessment of the correlation between proposed rates/ proposed price and proposed personnel/ materials/ technical approach), the CO's only way to deal with low prices would be a determination of non-responsibility. This can be thwarted by a firm "buying in" or by a small business viewed favorably by the SBA. Take a look at this recent GAO decision: Lily Timber Services, B-411435.2, August 5, 2015. http://www.gao.gov/products/B-411435.2#mt=e-report.
  12. Using an alias, Clause Industries holds a GSA Schedule: 451 1 EXPRESS SMALL PACKAGE AND EXPRESS HEAVYWEIGHT DELIVERY SERVICES Not sure if CI is a small biz.
  13. Bah! Humbug! Your automated procurement system will not generate a document in time. Call the toy provider to see if he/she will take an oral contract. If you haven't received the funding from the Comptroller, offer cookies and milk as consideration.
  14. I am unaware of any collection / analysis of solely SBA OHA decisions. Try looking at contract lawyers desk books that address GAO, COFC, BCA and SBA OHA decisions. Here is an example: https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/ContractLawDocLib. For specific issues, you can go to the SBA OHA site here: https://www.sba.gov/oha/decisions. Or, you can use google after inserting the letters SBA OHA at the beginning of your search description.
  15. Perhaps you can extend your career by abandoning the QB position and taking up the placekicker role. Both score points for the team, but the QB expends much more physical and emotional energy.
  16. Bob, Didn't DHRA fail to implement a GAO recommendation in the sustained protest involving Metis Solutions and 5 or 6 other successful protestors? See B-411173.2; B-411173.4; B-411173.5; B-411173.6; B-411173.7; B‑411173.8; B-411173.9 issued on 20 July 2015.
  17. E-go has grown along with E-mail, E-procurement, and E-learning.
  18. While I support the renewed “professionalization” of the contracting workforce, I am pessimistic that the workforce’s knowledge of law, regulation and market environment will improve. If anything happens to workforce knowledge, it will decline. This is due to the transfer of non-professional workload to the professional workforce. If I recall correctly, the professionalization of the contracting workforce began in the early 90s with the establishment of an educational requirement – a bachelor’s degree with 24 credit hours of business or business related subjects. Unfortunately, this laudable event was accompanied by other events that have undercut the effort to improve the professionalism of 1102s. First, there was the introduction of automated procurement systems (APS) driven, not by clerk typists (1106s), but by contract specialists. Increasingly, the contract specialists spend more time and effort learning how to create documents and to enter data in the APS than learning the substance of their profession. Currently, I work in a space adjacent to a staff of 1102s whose raison d’etre is an APS. All day long, 1102s line up to get help with the application of the APS to their specific procurements. If only they spent as much time reading the SOWs, the regs, the GAO and COFC decisions, and materials on the market they are seeking to use. Prior to my current experience, I cannot count the number of times I, or a colleague, was told a particular procurement strategy or tactic cannot be accomplished because SPS or PRISM won’t allow it. Because of the introduction of the APS, I believe contract specialists devote more time to learning their APS than to learning the substance of their “profession”. Closely related to the impact of APS is the impact of FPDS. FPDS entries and corrections are accomplished by 1102s. How many hours do contract specialists spend on the FPDS? Why can't 1106s do this? Next, while the procurement leaders were celebrating the new educational standards for 1102s, they were also eliminating 1105s, procurement agents. The work on small purchases – now simplified acquisitions – was transferred from 1105s to 1102s. I guarantee you that much/ most of the time 1102s spent/ spend on this new work was/ is spent on forcing the small purchases into the office APS. Until the procurement hierarchy demonstrates clearly the importance of procurement knowledge vice knowledge of APS, FPDS and small purchase, the test methodology is irrelevant. This demonstration will be the reduction or elimination of time 1102s spend on the creation of APS, FPDS and small purchase. Restore document preparation and reporting tasks to 1106s; return small purchases to 1105s.
  19. Absent a takeover of our culture and technology by the Luddites, multiple choice is the only type of test that can be administered. No narrative can be prepared using Ipads while the students are walking to the Starbucks!
  20. Don't forget that contract specialists must master their automated procurement systems! Capturing the right bits and bytes takes precedence over following the correct policies and procedures, using the correct provisions and clauses, and getting the best deal for the customer.
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