Computer Information Specialist Protest Analysis

Vance Benton

Case Study #One: Computer Information Specialist Protest Analysis

PROC 5860 – Government Contracting

June 1, 2014

Title

United States General Accounting Office

Matter of: Computer Information Specialist, Inc.

File: B-293049; B-293049.2

Facts

The National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a request for proposal (RFP) to perform telecommunications support services for a base year, with four 1-year options. The RFP stated that the award of the contract would be best value based with several non-price factors more significant than price. An initial evaluation of numerous proposals established a competitive range of four firms. NIH conducted discussions with the four competitive firms and obtain revised proposals. A final evaluation was conducted and Open Technology Group (OTG) was awarded the contract based on its highest ranked, lowest price proposal. Computer Information Specialist, Inc. (CIS) filed protest with GAO asserting that NIH misevaluated both CIS and OTG proposals

Issues

CIS asserts that it is unreasonable for the final evaluation to reflect a downgrade in the area of personnel qualifications and availability based on an initial evaluation deficiency which was corrected for its final proposal. CIS also asserts that it was unreasonable for the final evaluation to be downgraded in the area of past performance, based its submittal of information on five prior performance contracts verses the requested two in the RFP. In addition CIS asserts that the OTG proposal was misevaluated in that it failed to meet two solicitation requirements: the requirement to provide letters of commitment for its proposed personnel and the requirement to provide a security program plan.

Decisions

On the issues of the unreasonable evaluation of CIS proposal the GAO affirms, CIS assertions that the downgrades were unreasonable. On the issues that CIS asserts that the OTG proposal was misevaluated the GAO also affirms....