Recon-Optical, Inc., B-286529, January 18, 2001

B-286529 Jan 18, 2001 Jump To VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights As part of the evaluation in a procurement for aerial imaging sensors is denied. Where the GIQE is an accepted method of assessing imaging sensors performance. Is not defective where the scheme provided for the pricing of essentially equivalent numbers of sensors and reflected a reasonable approach to evaluating the pricing of different technical approaches. The Navy is seeking a high and medium altitude reconnaissance capability to replace the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System it currently uses on the F-14 aircraft for reconnaisance. The RFP was issued for sensor and sensor suite fabrication. Offerors were informed that that they could provide either separate and interchangeable medium and high altitude sensors or a single sensor. View Decision Matter of: Recon-Optical, Inc. File: B-286529 Date: January 18, 2001 DIGEST Attorneys DECISION Recon-Optical, Inc. protests the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. N00019-99-R-1567, issued by the Naval Air Systems Command, for imaging sensors and associated work to be installed in the Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) system. We deny the protest. The Navy is seeking a high and medium altitude reconnaissance capability to replace the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System it currently uses on the F-14 aircraft for reconnaisance. To this end, the RFP was issued for sensor and sensor suite fabrication, integration, installation, and testing as a Program Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) effort. RFP attach. 1, Statement of Work (SOW), at 1.0. Offerors were informed that that they could provide either separate and interchangeable medium and high altitude sensors or a single sensor; the RFP stated that a single sensor meeting all medium and high altitude requirements was desirable. RFP attach. 2, Performance Specification, at 3.2. The sensors will eventually be installed in pods to be attached to the F/A-18E/F aircraft, six of which the Navy is procuring under a separate procurement action. Agency Report at 2. Sensor imaging requirements were among the performance requirements identified in the RFP. These requirements are stated in terms of threshold (minimum) and objective National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scales (NIIRS) at various altitudes and various angles of view. For example, for visible resolution at a medium altitude overflight (imaging within 10 degrees or less of nadir) the RFP requested sensors that would provide a threshold rating of NIIRS 6 and an objective rating of NIIRS 7. The NIIRS is used by the aerial imaging community, and others, to define the quality of images and performance of imaging systems. Under NIIRS an image is assigned a number from 0 to 9 (with a lower number indicating less image recognition) to reflect a level of image recognition and interpretability. See Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Conference Videotape (VT) at 10:04-05; /1/ see also L.A. Maver, C.D. Erdman, K. Riehl, Imagery Interpretability Rating Scales, 20 Society for Information Display (SID) Digest at 117-20 (1995), reprinted at >. Simply stated, a NIIRS rating represents a subjective judgment of what can be humanly perceived. VT at 10:26. For example, "[a]t NIIRS 1 for visible imagery, the criterion indicates the ability to detect a medium sized port facility. At NIIRS 9, the requirement is to differentiate cross-slot from single-slot heads on aircraft skin panel fasteners." General Image Quality Equation (GIQE) User's Guide, version 4.0 (December 1996) at 2 (italics in original). The RFP included fixed-price line items for the sensors and cost-reimbursement line items for engineering/integration and logistics support services. RFP amend. 1 Sec. B at 3-4. With respect to the sensors, the RFP requested fixed-prices for basic and option quantities as follows: Offer of Two Separate Sensors Quantity Price Base Quantity: High Altitude Sensor 1 unit Option Quantity: Medium Altitude Sensor 1 unit Sensor Suite /2/ 1-2 Suites 2-4 suites Offer of Single Combined Sensor Base Quantity: Combined High/Medium Altitude 1 unit Sensor Option Quantity: Combined High/Medium Altitude 1-2 units Sensor 3-4 units 5-6 units 7-8 units RFP amend. 1 Sec. B at 3-4. Offerors were informed that in evaluating price the agency would add the price for the base quantity to the price for the option quantity. RFP Sec. M at 57. The RFP provided for award on a cost/technical tradeoff basis, and identified the following evaluation factors in descending order of importance: technical, price/cost, logistics, management, and past performance. Subfactors were stated for each of the non-price/cost evaluation factors.