URS Federal Services, Inc.

B-411282 Jun 18, 2015 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights CACI Technologies, Inc., of Chantilly, Virginia, protests the rejection of its proposal under request for proposals (RFP) No. N00024-13-R-3328, issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, for professional support services for the agency's program executive office. CACI maintains that the agency improperly misevaluated its proposal and also failed to engage in discussions with the firm. We deny the protest. We deny the protest. View Decision Decision Matter of: CACI Technologies, Inc. File: B-411282 Date: June 18, 2015 Craig S. King, Esq., Kevin R. Pinkney, Esq., and Patrick R. Quigley, Esq., Arent Fox LLP, for the protester. Gwendolyn Iaci, Esq., and Rizlane Riahi, Esq., Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, for the agency. Scott H. Riback, Esq., and Tania Calhoun, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST Protest that agency improperly rejected protester’s proposal and failed to engage in discussions is denied where record shows that protester failed to include key personnel resumes that were identified as a material solicitation requirement, and solicitation provided that the agency contemplated issuing task order without discussions. DECISION CACI Technologies, Inc., of Chantilly, Virginia, protests the rejection of its proposal under request for proposals (RFP) No. N00024-13-R-3328, issued by the Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, for professional support services for the agency’s program executive office. CACI maintains that the agency improperly misevaluated its proposal and also failed to engage in discussions with the firm. We deny the protest. The RFP contemplates the issuance, on a best value basis, of a task order to the firm submitting the proposal deemed most advantageous to the government, considering cost and several non-cost evaluation factors.[1] RFP at 82. As is relevant to the protest, the RFP required, among other things, that offerors include resumes for all proposed key personnel. RFP at 71. The RFP identified a total of 9 key personnel positions and included detailed qualification requirements for each individual being proposed. RFP at 70-71. The RFP provided that the resumes would be evaluated as the second most important subfactor under the most important non-price factor, technical capability and experience. RFP at 83. The record shows that, in submitting its proposal, CACI (the current incumbent) failed to include the required key personnel resumes. The agency evaluated and rejected the CACI proposal, finding that, because of CACI’s failure to include the key personnel resumes, its proposal was noncompliant, and therefore ineligible for award. Agency Report (AR) exh. 3, Proposal Review for CACI. Specifically, the agency advised CACI as follows: CACI’s failure to follow the instructions to submit the key personnel resumes prevents the Government from fully evaluating its proposal. The omission is particularly problematic where Key Personnel is the second most important subfactor within the most important factor (Technical Capability and Experience) for evaluation purposes (See Solicitation, Section M, § 2.1(b)[)]. Id. at 2. CACI concedes that it failed to include the required key personnel resumes with its proposal and asserts that this was an administrative error on its part. In its original letter of protest, CACI asserted that, despite the absence of the required resumes, its proposal nonetheless included much of the information that would have been found in those resumes; the protester therefore maintained that, even without the resumes, the agency should have found its proposal acceptable. In addition, the protester asserted that the agency unreasonably failed to engage in discussions with the firm in order to afford it an opportunity to correct its proposal. In its report responding to the protest, the agency described the RFP’s material informational requirements that were not included in the CACI proposal, that, under the RFP’s terms, should have been included in resumes prepared in accordance with the solicitation’s instructions. AR at 15-18. For example, the agency points out that CACI’s proposal does not provide information relating to the details of the educational background of its proposed key personnel (including the dates on which their proposed candidates received their degrees, the degrees held, and the schools from which the degrees were awarded); their related professional job experience and training; and the special experiences, qualifications and certifications held by their proposed candidates.