1. Source Selection Training
ACC Integrated
Source Selection Training
Organization, Roles, and Responsibilities
Instructor:
Name
S3COE ACC-XXX
Module 3

2. Organization, Roles and Responsibilities
Regulations,
Procedures,
Authorities and Concepts
Organization, Roles and Responsibilities
Ethics
and
Procurement
Integrity
Acquisition
Planning
LPTA
Best Value
Approach
Developing the
RFP and SSP
Peer Review
Process
Conducting
the
Evaluation
Competitive Range and Discussions
Documenting the Source Selection Decision
Notifications
Debriefings
Managing Protest Issues
Learning Objectives
Students will gain a knowledge and understanding of:
Why the acquisition team is important
Who is on the source selection team
What are the roles and responsibilities of the:
> SSA
> PCO
> SSAC
> SSEB
> Non-Government Advisors
> Program Management/ Requirements Office

3. The Acquisition Team

4. Building The Acquisition Team
Make the up-front investment in the team! Involve personnel who understand what works well on the existing contract(s)
The team should be made up of an integrated, multi- functional personnel effort that covers the full breadth of the acquisition process from establishing the requirements through contract award
Identify stakeholders that are impacted by the outcomes of the effort – they have “skin in the game”
Not all participants will be fully engaged at all phases

5. Get The Right People On The Bus!
The key to a successful source selection is selecting personnel with the requisite acquisition skills, experience and training necessary to execute the source selection and ensure the highest level of team membership consistency for the duration of the selection process.
Make sure you have a driver of the bus.

6. Acquisition Team Members
Contracting
DCMA/DCAA
Property Administration***
Program Management
Technical and End-User Organizations
Budget/Logistics/IT
Office of Counsel
Small Business
Cost/Pricing
Advisors (Government and Non-Government)
Direct and Indirect Stakeholders
Have class provide examples of direct/indirect stakeholders.

7. ACC-RSA Property Administrators
The following individuals are GS-1103 Property Administrators within the ACC-RSA who can assist Contracting Personnel in preparing solicitations and contract documents. Ronald Dugger (256) John Marsh (256)
Have class provide examples of direct/indirect stakeholders.

8. A Successful Acquisition Team
Has buy-in and support from Senior Leadership
Establishes ground rules to include communication plan
Documents major decisions throughout the process
Makes the acquisition a workload priority
Every member is fully accountable for their part of the process and supports others as needed
Consistent team membership throughout the process
Members willing to lead or follow as needed
The communication Plan will keep stakeholders and others informed of the status and direction of what you are doing.
Create a project library to maintain your knowledge base.

9. The Role of Industry Engage and communicate with industry early and
often
Request for Information (RFIs)
One-on-Ones
Comments to DRAFT RFPs
Questions and answers on released RFPs
*Industry is a stakeholder in the process

10. Source Selection Team

11. Components Of The SST Source Selection Team (SST) Model
Source Selection Authority (SSA)
Source Selection Advisory Council (SSAC)
Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB)
Advisors and Others
Selects/Total Responsibility
Compares/Supports SSA
Evaluates/Supports
SSA

12. Personnel Considerations
Order of preference for source selection expertise:
Look within own organization for expertise
Identify and appoint Government personnel outside own organization with the requisite expertise
Identify junior personnel to grow expertise and experience in source selection by allowing them to participate on non-technical factors
If expertise does not exist then move acquisition elsewhere
Consider establishing and/or hiring, on an ad hoc basis, qualified retired annuitants to supplement source selection teams
Establish an advance pool of experts to supplement on an ad hoc and rotational basis
Hire contractor experts to augment the SSEB assuring there is no organizational conflict of interest (least preferred)

13. Formal vs. Informal
Source Selection process may be “formal” or “informal”
Formal source selection:
> $100 M
Can be used for complex acquisitions below $100M
Source Selection Authority (SSA) other than the Contracting Officer
Requires use of a Source Selection Advisory Council (SSAC)
Informal source selection:
Generally less complex
Not less “structured”
SSA is generally the Contracting Officer, or whomever has the authority to sign the POM/PNM per the ACC-RSA SOP
Formal: when SSA is other than the Contracting Officer.
Explain Structured approach!! Both informal and informal needs a structured approach. Don’t let the term “informal” fool you!!

14. Typical SST >$100M Formal (Complex) SSA *SSAC Not Required For LPTA
SSEB
SSA
Contracting Officer
(Business Advisor)
Other Advisors (e.g., Legal Counsel, SB Advisor, Technical Experts)
SSAC
Chairperson
Technical Factor Team
Evaluates Technical Requirements/Risk
Cost/Price Factor Team
Evaluates Cost/Price
Past Performance Factor Team
Evaluates Past Performance
SB Participation Team
Evaluates Small Business Participation
*SSAC Not Required
For LPTA

15. Typical SST <$100M
Informal (Non-Complex)
SSEB
SSA = Contracting Officer
Other Advisors (e.g., Legal Counsel, SB Advisor, Technical Experts)
Chairperson
Technical Factor Team
Evaluates Technical Requirements/Risk
Cost/Price Factor Team
Evaluates Cost/Price
Past Performance Factor Team
Evaluates Past Performance
SB Participation Team
Evaluates Small Business Participation
*All Factors
evaluated may not
use separate teams
Good question to ask the class: Is it inappropriate to have a SSAC under $100M? Let team discuss when it could be appropriate.

16. The Source Selection Authority (SSA)
For acquisitions <$100M, the Contracting Officer is usually the SSA unless the agency head delegates this authority to another individual for a particular acquisition or group of acquisitions.
As of 2/11/15, the PARC is Rebecca E Weirick, the DASA(P) is Harry Hallock and the ASA(ALT) is Heidi Shyu.
For acquisitions ≥ $100M, the SSA is appointed by the PARC, DASA(P) or ASA(ALT) and is other than the PCO.

17. The SSA’s Identity is Procurement Sensitive
The identity of the SSA shall be
considered procurement sensitive
until contract award and shall not be
disclosed to anyone who has not signed
a non-disclosure agreement for that
procurement.
Recommend bringing up that the AFARS states that the SSA should be in the contracting chain.
IAW AS3 Roles and Responsibilities (1.4)

18. SSA Responsibilities Right experience Training
Team Consistency
Security
Safety
Conflict of Interest
Proper conduct of the process
Appoint SSEB Chair and SSAC
Ensure milestones are realistic
Are discussions needed
Make the source selection decision
Document the rationale in the Source Selection Decision Document
If discussions are necessary, SSA will approve the Competitive Range Determination
SSEB Chair will then appoint the SSEB members
…and kept!!!

19. The Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO)
In source selections greater than or equal to $100M, the PCO serves as the business advisor and principal guidance source for the entire Source Selection. The PCO also serves as the focal point for inquiries from industry, controls all exchanges with Offerors, and executes the contract award.

20. PCO Responsibilities Serve as Business Advisor to SSEB
Prepare/staff Documents for and maintain the official contract
file
Safeguard SSI and Offeror Proposal Information
Single Point of Contact for Industry
Keep the SSAC/SSA informed
Advise/Assist the SSA
Assist SSEB Chair to ensure the evaluation is conducted IAW the stated evaluation criteria
Brief as requested
Respond to questions
Use of non- Government personnel
SSA approval of SSP
Competitive Range Determination
Non-disclosure statements
Questions
Exchanges with Offerors
Chair Debriefings

21. The Source Selection Advisory Council (SSAC)
Establishment and Role
The SSA will establish the SSAC to gain access to functional area expertise to provide required support throughout the source selection process
The SSAC is composed of a Chairperson and Members; membership should represent the specific functional areas from which the SSA may require expertise; typically senior Government personnel including a person from the cognizant Contracting Office.
When established, it will provide oversight to the SSEB
The SSAC is required at a dollar value of ≥ $100M and optional for lesser values. SSAC is not required for LPTA

22. SSAC Responsibilities
SSAC Chair appoints SSAC members with SSA’s approval
Review the evaluation results of the SSEB to ensure the evaluation process follows the evaluation criteria and the ratings are appropriately and consistently applied
Before the PCO issues the request for Final Proposal Revisions, meet with the SSA to determine if meaningful discussions with Offerors have been concluded
Provide a written comparative analysis and award recommendation to the SSA
Review the Source Selection Decision Document (SSDD) for the SSA’s signature, if requested by the SSA

23. The Source Selection Evaluation Board
The SSEB will consist of a Chairperson and Evaluators and should be organized into functional teams corresponding to the specific evaluation criteria or factors (e.g., Technical, Past Performance, Small Business Participation, and Cost/Price). In those instances a functional team lead or “Factor Chair” may be utilized to consolidate the evaluation findings of the team and serve as the primary team representative to the SSEB Chair.
Use of non-Government personnel as voting members of the SSEB is prohibited. (See FAR 7.503(c)(12)(ii), FAR and FAR )

24. SSEB Duties Take Priority Over Other Work
Government personnel assigned to the SSEB shall consider this duty as their primary responsibility. Their source selection assignment shall take priority over other work assignments. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that other work assignments do not adversely impact the source selection process.

25. SSEB Chairperson Responsibilities
Be responsible for the overall management of the SSEB and act as the SSEB’s interface to the SSAC (if utilized) and the SSA
Establish functional evaluation teams and appoint chairpersons and members to those teams, subject to the approval of the SSA
Ensure members of the SSEB are trained and knowledgeable on how an evaluation is conducted prior to reviewing any proposals
Ensure the skills of the personnel, the available resources, and time assigned are commensurate with the complexity of the acquisition

26. More SSEB Chairperson Responsibilities
Responsible for the conduct of a comprehensive and integrated evaluation of competitive proposals in an impartial and equitable manner
Ensure the evaluation process follows the evaluation criteria and ratings are being consistently applied
Review all aspects of proposals and fully participate in all ratings and ensure preparation by the SSEB of narrative support substantiating evaluation ratings
Provide consolidated evaluation results to the SSA or the SSAC, as required
Support all post award activities such as debriefings and reviews/meetings as required

27. Still More SSEB Chairperson Responsibilities
Be responsible for the overall management of the SSEB and act as the SSEB’s interface to the SSAC (if utilized) and the SSA
Require the assigned members’ attendance at the meetings and conferences of the board and assign work necessary for the accomplishment of the mission
Relieve and replace members from assignment only in the event of a demonstrated emergency or other appropriate cause
Arrange for the needed administrative staff at the work site
Arrange for members to work overtime, when necessary, authorized, and approved
Establish the agenda and the schedule for SSEB meetings

28. SSEB Member Responsibilities
Conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of proposals against the solicitation requirements and the approved evaluation criteria
Ensure the evaluation is based solely on the evaluation criteria outlined in the solicitation
Assist the SSEB Chairperson in documenting the SSEB evaluation results
Support all post award activities such as debriefings and reviews/meetings as required
Prepare the necessary evaluation notices (ENs)

29. What the SSEB WILL NOT DO
Neither the SSEB Chairperson nor the SSEB members shall perform comparative analysis of proposals or make source selection recommendations unless requested by the SSA.

30. The Role of Advisors in Source Selection

31. Use of Government Advisors
When an SSAC is not used, consider using advisors to assist the SSA. These advisors can provide expertise within specific functional areas, similar to the involvement of the SSAC, but need not provide formal written comparative analysis required of an SSAC. They may also be used to provide assistance to the SSEB as Subject Matter Experts.

32. Use of Non-Government Advisors
May be authorized but should be minimized
Must be supported by a written determination approved by the PARC based on FAR , FAR and AFARS
Must submit non-disclosure agreement and financial holdings as required of Government employees
Non-Government SSEB Advisors are non-voting
Should only be exposed to specified portions of proposal where review input is required
Want to discuss the AS3 requirement here as well.

33. What Non-Government Advisors May/May Not Do, or, what does non-voting mean?
May provide input regarding evaluation but may not determine ratings or rankings of Offerors’ proposals
May not participate in the review and evaluation of past performance - Disclosure of past performance information is strictly prohibited
*See FAR

34. Program Management/Requirements Office Roles and Responsibilities
Ensure technical requirements are approved and stable
Allocate necessary resources
Assist in establishing the SSEB
Assist in development of the evaluation criteria
Consistent with the technical requirements
Develop PWS/SOO or SOW
To include serving as an advisor and/or SSEB member as necessary
Personnel
Funding
Facilities

35. Here’s Your Pop Quiz

36. Question #1 Who are the stakeholders on the bus? Acquisition Team KO
Advisors
Contracting
Property Admin
Technical/End User
Legal
Program Mgmt
Cost/Pricing
DCMA/DCAA
Budget/Logistics/IT
Small Business
Acquisition Team

37. Question #2—
For acquisitions ≥ $100M, who is the source selection authority and how are they appointed?
Other than the PCO
Appointed by the Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting (PARC) – up to $500M
Over $500M – Appointed by DASA(P)
ACAT I Programs- Appointed by the AAE

38. Question #3— What is the difference between the SSEB and the SSAC?
The SSEB’s primary role is to conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of proposals against the solicitation requirements and the approved evaluation criteria
The SSAC’s primary role is to provide a written comparative analysis and award recommendation to the SSA.

39. Discussion #4—
Explain the role of advisors (Government and non-government) in the source selection process.
Provide assistance to the SSEB as subject matter experts (within specific functional areas)
Non-Government advisors are non-voting members
Non-Government advisors may not participate in the review and evaluation of past performance