Effective Proposal Evaluations Series

Effective Proposal Evaluations Series 2024

Cost to the government must be considered in the award of every contract, including in the award of fixed price-type contracts and task orders. There are many different kinds of price evaluation and analysis techniques (e.g., reasonableness, realism, etc.) that can and should be used when analyzing offerors’ prices. To an offeror, different price evaluation requirements, could result in very different pricing strategies, and this may be the difference between winning and losing a contract. How do Agency personnel perform various types of price evaluations? Do contractors understand how to maximize their chances of success in this part of their proposal? This virtual class is for both contractor and agency personnel who want (or need) to have a better understanding of the price evaluation process.

This virtual class covers:

• The statutory and regulatory provisions affecting price evaluations and analysis
• What is meant by “completeness” and “accuracy”?
• What is meant by “reasonable” and “reasonableness”?
• What is meant by “realism”?
• When is a price realism evaluation permitted/required?
• Analyzing the standard of review
• Types of cost and pricing data/information
• Looking at common agency & offeror mistakes
• Considering arguments that are not worthy

Effective Proposal Evaluations Series 2024
Jul 9, 16, 23, 30, Aug 6, 13, 20; 2:00-3:30pm
Individual Sessions are $189.00 and can be purchased by clicking on the session title.

July 9: Technical and Management Evaluations

Technical and management evaluations are a central aspect of the award decision process. A company’s technical and management proposals could be the difference between winning and losing a contract. But do contractors understand how to maximize their chances for success in this part of their proposal? Are Government personnel aware of the focus and effort industry is bringing to this area to help improve our proposals, leading to conditions better enabling the Government to choose the right winning contractor for their acquisition?

July 16: Price Evaluations

Cost to the government must be considered in the award of every contract, including in the award of fixed price-type contracts and task orders. There are many different kinds of price evaluation and analysis techniques (e.g., reasonableness, realism, etc.) that can and should be used when analyzing offerors’ prices. To an offeror, different price evaluation requirements, could result in very different pricing strategies, and this may be the difference between winning and losing a contract. How do Agency personnel perform various types of price evaluations? Do contractors understand how to maximize their chances of success in this part of their proposal? This virtual class is for both contractor and agency personnel who want (or need) to have a better understanding of the price evaluation process.

July 23: Past Performance Evaluations

Past performance is a common evaluation factor on which award decisions are based. A company’s past performance evaluation could be the difference between winning and losing a contract. But do contractors understand how to maximize their chances for success in this part of their proposal? And do government personnel know how to perform a proper past performance evaluation? This virtual class is for both contractors and agencies who NEED to have a better understanding of the past performance evaluation process, and will include PRACTICAL EXERCISES to enhance the learning process.

This virtual class will:

• Review the statutory and regulatory provisions affecting past performance evaluations
• Examine the various sources of past performance information
• Explain how the relevance of past performance is determined
• Analyze how the quality of past performance is considered
• Provide guidance on responding to adverse past performance information
• Describe what other factors affect past performance evaluations
• Discuss past performance rating schemes
• Explain how the past performance of subcontractors and teaming partners can be evaluated
• Include the use of practical exercises

July 30: Cost Realism Evaluations

Cost–to the government–must be considered in the award of EVERY contract, and cost realism evaluations are an essential part of the award of cost reimbursement contracts. An offeror’s “evaluated cost” could be much different than its “proposed cost,” and this may be the difference between winning and losing a contract. But do contractors understand how to maximize their chances for success in this part of their proposal? And do government personnel know how to perform a proper cost realism evaluation? This virtual class is for both contractor and agency personnel who need to have a better understanding of the cost realism evaluation process.

This virtual class will:

• Review the statutory and regulatory provisions affecting cost realism evaluations
• Examine when and why cost realism evaluations are necessary
• Analyze the types of cost information offerors need to provide in their proposals
• Understand what a cost realism evaluation is to achieve or accomplish
• Clarify the “burden of proof” in a cost realism evaluation
• Explain the roles of DCAA and DCMA in cost realism evaluations
• Explain the relationship between an offeror’s cost and technical submissions
• Discuss how proposed rate caps impact cost realism evaluations
• Discuss how FPRRs and FPRAs affect cost realism evaluations
• Describe how cost realism evaluations may affect technical evaluations

August 6: Key Personal Evaluations

dedicates to a job often determine the success of the project, especially with regard to service contracts. As a result, the requests for proposals and requests for quotations issued by government agencies commonly make “key personnel” one of the evaluation factors upon which contract award is based. But do government personnel know how to define, and then properly evaluate, key personnel criteria? And do contractors understand how to maximize their chances for success in this part of their proposal? This virtual class is for both contractor and agency personnel who want–or need–to have a better understanding of the key personnel evaluation process and will include PRACTICAL EXERCISES to enhance the learning process. This virtual class is ESSENTIAL for any individual-government or contractor-who will ever be involved in the proposal preparation and evaluation process.

August 13: Socioeconomic Evaluations

Socio-Economic considerations are never far from a contracting agency’s thinking when awarding government contracts. As evidenced by FAR Part 19, Congress has decided that the contracting process should foster various social goals and, as a result, the socio-economic status of contractors (e.g., small businesses, minority-owned, women-owned, 8(a)s, SDBs, HuBZones, ANCs, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned) is evaluated as part of contract award. In some instances, contracting agencies set-aside procurements for certain groups, and the resulting evaluation must decide if the contractor meets the status requirement. In other instances (especially where the procurement is not set-aside), the contracting agency may establish a socio-economic consideration factor/apportionment and evaluate the extent to which the offeror (large or small) proposes to promote the interests of socio-economic groups through contract performance. The extent to which an offeror meets or exceeds a solicitation’s socio-economic requirements can mean the difference between winning and losing a contract. But do contractors understand how to maximize their chances for success in this part of their proposal? How do Government personnel perform a proper evaluation? This virtual class is for both contractor and agency personnel who want, or need, to have a better understanding of the socio-economic evaluation process.

This virtual class will provide discussions around the following topics:

• Review the statutory and regulatory provisions affecting socio-economic evaluations.
• Examine when and why socio-economic evaluations are necessary.
• Analyze the types of information offerors need to provide as part of their socio-economic proposals.
• Explain the difference between a small business subcontracting plan and a small business participation plan.
• Understand what a socio-economic evaluation is to achieve or accomplish.
• Discuss the merits of socio-economic goals in solicitations and contracts.
• Explain the role of the small business advocate in the socio-economic evaluation process.
• Discuss various socio-economic evaluation schemes which can be used.
• Analyze common socio-economic evaluation mistakes.

August 20: Responsibility Evaluations and Source Selection

The Government only wants to do business with “responsible” contractors. In fact, no purchase or award can be made unless the contracting officer makes an affirmative determination of the prospective awardee’s responsibility. What exactly is meant by “responsible” and “responsibility,” and how is it determined? And while there are many folks that think of contractor responsibility as such a low bar that they need not worry about it, time to think again! There are many different types of standards that a contractor must have to be found responsible. There is also a requirement that the contracting officer review the information in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) when making a responsibility determination. How do government personnel analyze an offeror’s responsibility? And do contractors understand how to effectively demonstrate their responsibility? This virtual class is for both contractor and agency personnel who want, or need, to have a better understanding of the responsibility evaluation and determination process.

This virtual class will provide discussions around the following topics:

• The statutory and regulatory provisions affecting responsibility determinations.
• Sources of responsibility information
• Reviewing the applicable standard(s) of review
• Analyzing affirmative responsibility determinations
• Reviewing non responsibility determinations
• Dialogues with offerors regarding responsibility
• When are responsibility determinations required?
• Reviewing the requirements of FAPIIS Review the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) process