Competitive Source Selection

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Competitive Source Selection |

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Denise Washington |

Integrated Studies in Procurement and Acquisitions ManagementProfessor Bradley Wootten, InstructorJune 13, 2015AbstractCompetitive Source Selection is a set of guidelines and procedures to competitively select bids and proposal for work with Government Agencies. These procedures are designed to provide uniform source selection guidance and simplify the source selection process. These procedures are mandatory for all competitive acquisitions. This paper will give you some idea of how the government solicits bids and proposals and how private industry procures it contracts along with some of the necessary guidelines and procedures that must be followed.Primary Functional Area: ContractingSource Selection defined generally refers to the process of evaluating a competitive bid or proposal to enter into a Government procurement contract. The term “source selection” is used for referring to acquisitions awarded according to Federal Acquisition Regulation Parts 13 (Simplified Acquisition), 14 (Sealed Bidding), or 15 (Contracting by Negotiation). However, it is most commonly used specifically for FAR Part 15 acquisitions. (Acquipedia, accessed 5/11/13).The Source Selection process may be formal or informal. Formal source selection is used for high-dollar value or complex acquisitions where someone other than the procuring contracting officer is the source selection authority (SSA). The process begins with the establishment of an evaluation plan for a proposed acquisition, and ends when the SSA selects a contractor to receive a contract award and debriefs the offerors. Informal source selection procedures are less complex, as the procuring contracting officer (PCO) can determine which offer constitutes best value for Government without formal input from other Government officials specifically designated for that purpose. (Acq.) Ultimately, Agency heads are responsible for source selection. The contracting...