Further Consideration of Prior Decision on Protest Against Award of Contract

In response to a prior decision which recommended that the Secretary of Transportation ascertain the basis for a conclusion that proposals submitted were technically equal, the agency furnished support for the conclusions reached by the third evaluator (whose views prompted the source selection) in conflict with the technical evaluation committee's views. The committee evaluated and scored only the original proposals but not the additional information which resulted from negotiations. The additional information considered by the third evaluator reduced the technical evaluation difference of the technical committee in favor of the protester. The additional information from the lower cost awardee responded satisfactorily to a technical problem raised by the agency which, in large measure, accounted for the technical evaluation difference between proposals.