Applied Management Solutions, Inc., B-291191, November 15, 2002

B-291191 Nov 15, 2002 Jump To VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights DIGEST Protest of agency's evaluation of protester's quotation as technically unacceptable is denied where record shows that evaluation was reasonable and consistent with solicitation evaluation criteria. The response teams themselves have their own administrative responsibilities concerning. Assistance was to be provided for the distribution of program information to team leaders. Technical support was to be provided to team proposal review panels. Contact information was to be made available to team members for technical assistance in developing or implementating team proposals. A team payment mechanism was to be developed and implemented. The vendor also was to provide support services related to the procurement of services and supplies (such as medical equipment or leased warehouse space). View Decision Applied Management Solutions, Inc., B-291191, November 15, 2002 DIGEST Attorneys DECISION Applied Management Solutions, Inc. protests the rejection of its quotation as technically unacceptable under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 233-02-0064, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services for the provision of support services to disaster medical response teams. Applied contends that the agency unreasonably determined that its quotation failed to demonstrate the firm's understanding of the RFQ's required scope of work and related level of effort. We deny the protest. The RFQ, issued on June 19, 2002, contemplated the issuance of a delivery order under the General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule for Management, Organizational and Business Improvement Services, for the provision of certain support services to 66 National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) response teams. The NDMS, which manages the largely volunteer-based disaster response program, administers response team agreements, develops program goals, and provides team funding. The response teams themselves have their own administrative responsibilities concerning, for instance, using team funds, providing technical support for team development, procuring approved equipment, training of team members, and reporting team expenditures. The RFQ set out the administrative support services to be provided by the successful vendor. For instance, assistance was to be provided for the distribution of program information to team leaders, technical support was to be provided to team proposal review panels, contact information was to be made available to team members for technical assistance in developing or implementating team proposals, and a team payment mechanism was to be developed and implemented. The vendor also was to provide support services related to the procurement of services and supplies (such as medical equipment or leased warehouse space), the payment or reimbursement of costs for team training, travel and vaccinations, the payment of team member salaries for attending NDMS training and managing the team, equipment inventory, recordkeeping, and the preparation of financial and other activity reports. The vendor would not necessarily be expected to provide these services to all of the 66 teams since, as the RFQ recognized, some of the NDMS response teams already have their own administrative support in the areas of procurement and payment. The RFQ set forth two technical evaluation factors, technical approach (worth 60 points) and staffing qualifications and experience (worth 40 points); the two technical factors combined were approximately equal in weight to price. The RFQ specifically advised that each vendor's quotation must "learly and concisely demonstrate . . . an understanding of the details and complexity of the requirements"and "nclude a comprehensive statement which demonstrates a complete understanding of the scope of this effort . . . ." RFQ attach. B, at 5-6. Applied and VW International, Inc. submitted quotations by the scheduled closing time. VW's quotation was highly rated under the technical evaluation factors and offered a significantly lower price than Applied's quotation. The evaluators determined that Applied's quotation, which offered a price more than seven times higher than VW's price, envisioned an effort that greatly exceeded the RFQ's intended level of effort and that, accordingly, the quotation failed to demonstrate an adequate understanding of the RFQ's scope of work, as required under the stated evaluation factors. Consequently, Applied's quotation was rejected as technically unacceptable. A delivery order under the RFQ was issued to VW on August 15. The protester was given a debriefing as to the evaluators' findings.