Best Value Source Selection
Duration: 2 days
Cost: $495/person, minimum 10 people
Course Outline and Objectives
Topic
Best Value Acquisition:
Theory, Benefits and
Government
Responsibilities
Market Research and
Acquisition Planning
Solicitation Preparation
The Evaluation Process
Objective
Theory, benefits and government responsibilities in using best value acquisition
techniques. Particular emphasis will be given to
 The appropriate circumstances for using best value;
 The numerous ways the government buying office can benefit from using
best value
 The responsibilities of the government to ensure best value acquisitions are
 Fair, equitable to all participating offerors.
 Conducted in a manner that is consistent with the process and factors
stated in the solicitation.
 Explain the requirement for and importance of market research
o Advantages and limitations of exchanges with proposal offerors
before receipt of proposal
o Advisory Multi-step
 Explain the requirement for and importance of the acquisition plan
o Describe the elements of the Acquisition Plan and Source
Selection Plan
 Describe the basic content of the RFP with special emphasis on Sections L
&M
 Proposal instructions
 Importance in the best value negotiation process
 Using proposal instructions to conduct an efficient evaluation process
 Critical step: Mapping the evaluation criteria with the proposal
instructions
 Techniques for writing clear proposal instructions
 Building a compliance matrix
 Importance of evaluation criteria in the best value process
 FAR/DFAR requirements in developing evaluation criteria
 Keys to discovering effective evaluation criteria:
 Linked to high value and risk
 Will yield meaningful discrimination
 Independence
 Qualitative vs. Quantitative
 Use of market research data
 Effective evaluation criteria for oral presentations
 Team approach to developing effective criteria
 Writing tips and techniques in defining criteria for the RFP
 Setting criteria weights and priorities
 Steps in the overall process
 Roles and responsibilities of the evaluation team
 Relationship of evaluation criteria
o Technical factors
o Past Performance factor
o Cost/Price factor
 The technical evaluation process
 Definitions of strengths, weaknesses, risks and deficiencies
 Purpose of use of rating scales
Evaluation of Oral
Presentations
Evaluating Past
Performance
Exchanges/
Negotiations With Offerors
Making the Best Value
Award Decision
Full and Open Debriefings
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Compare and contrast evaluating oral presentations and written proposals
Preparing to evaluate oral presentations
Tips and techniques for optimizing the oral presentation evaluation process
Critical requirements in conducting a past performance evaluation
Review and application of case law to recent past performance evaluation
Definitions of clarifications, communications and discussions.
Information government should consider before awarding without
discussions
Establishing the competitive range
The definitions of “meaningful” discussions
Meaningful exchanges during oral presentations
Proposal revisions and the Final Proposal Revision
Limits on exchanges
Integrating the final evaluation results
Comparative assessment of offerors
Considerations in the tradeoff process
Documentation requirements for the source selection decision document
FAR requirements for debriefings
Quality debriefings: example process
Techniques for delivering a first-class debriefing