What goes on behind a contract debriefing?
Contracting officers oversee many moving parts in the complex procurement process. But perhaps no other element of contracting strikes fear into their hearts more than the debriefing. For most...
View ArticleDoD, TSA and HHS officials provide contracting advice to small businesses
The Pentagon’s point woman for hiring women-owned small businesses said this week that she “needed a lift” from the travails of furloughs and sequestration. “This is a tough time for the federal...
View ArticleCustoms and Border Protection agency offers more information to losing bidders
Customs and Border Protection’s IT technology acquisition operation is developing ways to help explain to unsuccessful contract bidders why they lost out to competitors, according to the agency’s top...
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Protest deadline not met because debrief not required
Yet another unwary government contractor has been turned away by GAO because it failed to file its protest on time. Unsuccessful offerors that contest evaluation issues (rather than solicitation...
View ArticleRecent improvements in government contract bid debriefings?
Debriefings of unsuccessful government contract bidders are unusual events with little parallel in commercial contracting. The regulations are confounding on whether a debriefing is required, when the...
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GAO: Protest filed within 10 days of debrief still untimely
The Government Accountability Office’s recent decision in Protect the Force Inc.—Reconsideration demonstrates the importance of understanding GAO’s prior case law and carefully following the rules set...
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New debriefing rules in effect for DOD contractors
As discussed in an earlier post about the NDAA for FY 2018, one of the most significant changes with respect to procurement issues may be related to the DoD’s conduct of debriefings. Perhaps missed in...
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New rules for filing protests at GAO and new DFARS debriefing requirements
The Government Accountability Office {GAO) finally has unveiled its long-awaited Electronic Protest Docketing System (EPDS). Effective May 1, 2018, all new protests (excluding those containing...
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“Workin’ 9 To 5”–but not in a government office: Requesting a debriefing
In Exceptional Software Strategies, Inc., B-416232, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently addressed the obscure rules for when a disappointed offeror must request a debriefing. It’s...
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It’s 4:30 pm — Do you know where your debrief request is?
For those of you who have ever protested a solicitation before the Government Accountability Office (GAO), you know about GAO’s strict rules regarding timeliness. Under GAO rules, a document is...
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If you’re not early, you’re late: Meeting deadlines in federal procurements
Businesses hoping to win a government contract must be familiar and comply with a host of complex timeliness rules, from the deadlines for submitting proposals and revisions, to the rules for...
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Transparency in debriefs would improve competition, help small businesses
Taxpayers have the right to know how the government is spending their money. After all, the insights gained from total transparency in the federal procurement process can hold agencies more...
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GSA launches enhanced debriefing pilot, but why not make it permanent?
The perception that bid protests are mucking up the federal procurement process is one of those urban myths that will not die, like how Paul McCartney died in a car crash in 1966 or that the Air Force...
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NDAA requires Contracting Officers to provide information to unsuccessful...
The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has long been used to impose government-wide procurement reforms. The recently enacted NDAA, signed by President Trump on December 20, 2019,...
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What is a debrief?
Whether you have won a contract or have received the dreaded unsuccessful offeror letter regarding the procurement you have been vying for, a debrief is a useful tool. In its simplest of terms, the...
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