[Protest of Navy Solicitation for Mess Attendant Services]

A firm protested a Navy solicitation for mess attendant services, contending that the minimum staffing requirement: (1) violated Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) guidance regarding the definition of service contract requirements; (2) restricted competition; and (3) exceeded the Navy's actual needs. GAO held that the: (1) protester's allegations regarding the OFPP policy violations were a matter of executive branch policy, which it would not consider; (2) minimum staffing levels did not restrict competition, since the Navy properly allowed the bidders to deviate from the stated levels; and (3) Navy reasonably determined its minimum needs based on past experience. Accordingly, the protest was dismissed in part and denied in part.