Protest spotlight

By Marjorie Censer / March 23, 2020 at 5:15 AM

(This occasional feature highlights protests decided by the Government Accountability Office.)

Agency: Army

Awardee: DCS

Protester: NCI Information Systems

What GAO found: The Army last year issued a request for proposals through its Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services contract vehicle for systems engineering and technical support services for the Army's program manager for soldier protection and individual equipment.

The service received three proposals, including those from DCS and NCI. DCS received better ratings on its technical and recruitment, retention and staffing factors. DCS's cost totaled $145 million, while NCI's totaled $137 million.

The Army selected DCS, and NCI subsequently filed a protest. The Army said it would take corrective action and then reaffirmed its award to DCS. NCI filed another protest.

NCI argued the Army failed to evaluate the compensation offered by bidders.

“In particular, the protester argues that DCS proposed to staff the task order primarily by hiring NCI's incumbent employees, but proposed compensation that is substantially lower than the employees' current earnings,” GAO said in its decision.

Additionally, NCI contended that DCS's proposal should have been found unacceptable because DCS didn't tell the Army during the corrective action period that a proposed key person is no longer available.

“NCI argues that it is evident, based on publicly available information, that DCS's proposed materials engineer III relocated from the Washington, D.C. area to Tucson, Arizona, and accepted a new position with another company in October 2019,” the GAO decision reads.

However, the Army said the corrective action did not include a reevaluation of key personnel.

NCI also challenged the evaluation of DCS's small business participation plan and its best-value tradeoff, but GAO said it found no basis to sustain the protest. The protest was denied.

Read the decision here.

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