B-242200, Feb 7, 1991, 90-2 CPD ***

B-242200, Feb 7, 1991, 90-2 CPD ***

PROCUREMENT - Competitive Negotiation - Federal procurement - Revision - Evaluation criteria DIGEST: General Accounting Office suggests deferring action on Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) case No. 90-52, a proposal to revise FAR section 15.605(b) concerning quality of services as an evaluation factor, pending consideration by the FAR councils of a change made by section 802(c) of Pub.L. No. 101-510.

Sharon A. Kiser

FAR Secretariat:

This responds to your request for our comments on a proposed revision of section 15.605(b) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). This is FAR case No. 90-52.

The proposed change is intended to implement a 1986 statute requiring that, in prescribing evaluation factors for competitive proposals, an agency must clearly establish the relative importance of the quality of services to be provided. 10 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2305(a)(3) (West Supp. 1990) (as added by Pub.L. No. 99-661, Sec. 924). We note, however, that the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year l991, Pub.L. No. 101- 510, Sec. 802(c), made further revisions to section 2503(a)(3) with respect to establishing the relative importance assigned to the "evaluation factors and subfactors, including the quality of the product or services." Given this development, we suggest that further action on FAR case 90-52 be deferred pending consideration by the FAR councils of the need for further changes to FAR section 15.605(b).