Assess whether a protest is rational after debrief (32a2ae)

Situation

A lab competing a Phase II SBIR cannot treat a debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores as color commentary on small-business subcontracting plan short of goals. Contracts officer supporting a bid must close a protest is rational from that extract under Government RFP / Performance and Teaming.

Decision

Contracts officer supporting a bid in a lab competing a Phase II SBIR must choose Pursue / Pursue with conditions / Partner / No-bid using small-business subcontracting plan short of goals after a debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores.

Hypotheses to test

• A debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores is noise around an already-controlled Performance and Teaming process in a lab competing a Phase II SBIR, given small-business subcontracting plan short of goals.
• A debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores is the event in small-business subcontracting plan short of goals that forces Pursue for contracts officer supporting a bid under Government RFP.
• Small-business subcontracting plan short of goals shows a one-file miss after a debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores, not a Performance and Teaming program failure.
• Small-business subcontracting plan short of goals cannot decide a protest is rational yet after a debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores; hold is the only Government RFP close a lab competing a Phase II SBIR can defend.

Analysis required

• Score competitive posture if contracts officer supporting a bid pursues, partners, or no-bids.
• Test OCI, QASP, and mandatory evaluation rights a lab competing a Phase II SBIR cannot waive quietly.
• Map Section L/M requirements in small-business subcontracting plan short of goals to evaluator notes after a debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores.
• For this Government RFP Performance and Teaming file, read small-business subcontracting plan short of goals against a debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores and write the one fact that would move a protest is rational for contracts officer supporting a bid.

Recommendation

Choose Pursue / Pursue with conditions / Partner / No-bid on this Government RFP / Performance and Teaming packet (small-business subcontracting plan short of goals after a debrief that contradicts the evaluation-notice scores). The follow-on Performance and Teaming action is what contracts officer supporting a bid does next: implement the option, assign an owner, and log the missing fact.