Dual, Inc., B-279295, June 1, 1998

B-279295 Jun 01, 1998 Jump To VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Multiple award FSS contracts are indefinite-delivery contracts under which commercial firms may provide government agencies with commonly used goods and services for given periods of time. Vendors that responded to this RFP and are awarded a contract by GSA will be listed on the FSS. The MOBIS contractors are to provide a full range of services and products for consulting. Which will permit the agencies to begin or continue management. The services are to facilitate agencies' responses to dynamic. Are intended to enable the agencies to continuously improve mission performance. C.2.1.6 The RFP provided for multiple awards to responsible offerors whose technical proposals are determined to be acceptable and whose prices are considered fair and reasonable. View Decision Matter of: Dual, Inc. File: B-279295 Date: June 1, 1998 DIGEST Attorneys DECISION Dual, Inc. protests the rejection of its proposal as technically unacceptable under request for proposals (RFP) No. FCXA-FA-970003-N, issued by the General Services Administration (GSA), for non-mandatory, multiple award federal supply schedule (FSS) contracts encompassing management, organizational and business improvement services (MOBIS). We deny the protest. Non-mandatory, multiple award FSS contracts are indefinite-delivery contracts under which commercial firms may provide government agencies with commonly used goods and services for given periods of time. Government ordering activities can order goods or services under simplified procedures from the contracts to meet their requirements. In this case, vendors that responded to this RFP and are awarded a contract by GSA will be listed on the FSS, and an agency needing MOBIS may, after making a best value determination, place a task or delivery order, based on a fixed price, with the selected vendor. The RFP, issued on April 4, 1997, requested proposals for a contract period from the date of award through September 30, 2002, with one 5-year option period. The MOBIS contractors are to provide a full range of services and products for consulting, facilitation, surveys and training, which will permit the agencies to begin or continue management, organizational and business improvement efforts with regard to performance, quality, timeliness and efficiency throughout their organizations. RFP Sec. C.2.1.3, C.2.1.5. The services are to facilitate agencies' responses to dynamic, evolutionary influences and mandates, and are intended to enable the agencies to continuously improve mission performance. RFP Sec. C.2.1.5. Examples of the MOBIS contemplated under the FSS contracts include quality management; business process reengineering; strategic and business planning; benchmarking; strategic sourcing; activity-based costing; financial management analysis related to an improvement effort; statistical process control; surveys; individual and organizational assessments and evaluations; process improvements; process modeling and simulation; performance measurement; organizational design; change management; development of leadership/management skills; and training in improving customer service and satisfaction. Id. The RFP requested prices for five types of MOBIS-related items: (1) consultation services, (2) facilitation services, (3) survey services, (4) training services, and (5) support products. RFP Sec. C.2.1.6 The RFP provided for multiple awards to responsible offerors whose technical proposals are determined to be acceptable and whose prices are considered fair and reasonable. RFP Sec. E.5. Section E.5.1 of the RFP listed the following technical evaluation factors: (1) Understanding of Requirements, (2) Professional Staff, (3) Relevant Corporate Experience, and (4) Past Performance. The RFP specified that the first three factors were to be evaluated on "a 'go or no-go' basis," RFP Sec. E.5, and that for each of these evaluation factor proposals "must satisfy the requirement completely or they will be eliminated from further consideration." RFP Sec. E.5.1. The RFP included detailed instructions for the preparation of proposals, and advised that GSA "may evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors." RFP Sec. B.2. The RFP added that because of this "the offeror's initial offer should contain the offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint." Id. Dual's proposal was rated as "go," or technically acceptable, under the understanding of requirements and professional staff evaluation factors, and as "no go," or technically unacceptable, under the relevant corporate experience evaluation factor.