1. Contracting Officer Podcast Slides
Knowledge & Insights From Contracting Officers

2. What is the Source Selection Decision Document?
Episode 063
What is the Source Selection Decision Document?
Original Air Date: Jan 24, 2016
Hosts: Kevin Jans & Paul Schauer

3. Formatting notes
Hyperlinks: Blue font indicates hyperlinks – presentation must be in ‘Slide Show’ mode to activate the link
Red bold font indicates a point of emphasis
Green bold font indicates CO’s personal comment or perspective

4. Introduction
Purpose of this podcast: Describe the Source Selection Decision
The Source Selection Decision is the final step in the source selection journey. This is where the winner is picked.

5. When do Source Selection Decisions happen?
Acquisition Time Zones (from Podcast Episode 003)
Requirements Zone
Market Research Zone
RFP Zone
Source Selection Zone (or sole source)
Execution Zones: Kick Off, Transition (Ramp Up), Performance, Re-compete

6. FAR 15.308 – Source Selection Decision
Final stage of the source selection process (before protests)
Source Selection Authority (SSA) makes the final decision on who wins
Comparative assessment of proposals against all source selection criteria in the solicitation
If you’ve been following along:
We’ve been talking about the importance of understanding the evaluation criteria
This is yet another example of why proposals are so critical

7. FAR 15.308 – Source Selection Decision
Good:
Clear winner, clearly distinguished from, and rated higher than, competitors
Based on technical advantage, good history and strong price
Starts with a lot of cut and paste from evaluation documents
Bad:
Process of elimination from a field of poor proposals
Messy, unclear document
Led to protest

8. FAR 15.308 – Source Selection Decision
SSA may use reports and analyses prepared by others, the Source Selection Decision shall represent the SSA’s independent judgment
Decision must be documented (surprise! – SSDD)
Documentation shall include the rationale for any judgments and tradeoffs made or relied on…
This can be tricky: Can easily lead to protest if not careful
…by the SSA, including benefits associated with additional costs
There’s that “explain why” thing again

9. FAR 15.308 – Source Selection Decision
Although the rationale must be documented, that documentation need not quantify the tradeoffs that led to the decision
In other words, SSA not required to compare a 10% better speed to a 4% better price.
They can just say that the increase in speed offers benefit to the government that outweighs the slight increase in price
“in relative terms…” explains it

10. FAR 15.308 – Source Selection Decision
SSDD should not be loaded with tables and statistics justifying the decision
Instead, it should describe the judgment and thought process that led to the decision
COs are people that are paid to think their way to solutions
This document must clearly show the thinking that went into the evaluation and decision

11. Why are Source Selection Decisions important?
It’s the final step
It’s ALL ON THE LINE
This document (while not required to be released) gets a LOT of attention
Do it well, and it’s a smooth finish
Do it wrong, and it can have a negative effect that far outweighs its size….

12. Why Should Government Care?
It’s one of the first (if not THE first) document reviewed
It can close the loop nicely
It’s not something you want to be preparing for the day before award…
Think about the SSDD throughout the source selection evaluation
It’s your best opportunity to make the complex simple
Ignore it at your peril

13. Why Should Industry Care?
This is the final step
It’s your win or loss story in (as little as) one page
Since the decision is the SSA's "independent" judgment, this is the place where your careful shaping can pay off
SSA reviews all the evaluation information
In the case of equivalent evaluations, the SSA must pick one. Do they pick a company they've never heard of, or you?

14. Why Should Industry Care?
If you wrote a good proposal, you’ll see quotes from it in the SSDD
Remember - make it easy for the CO to cut and paste your differentiators into their document
If you’re the winner, the losers may protest it because they see it differently

15. Summary Government team:
It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it needs to tell a story that the losers understand (or they will protest until they do understand)
Use it to tie a bow on the contract award… NOT to cover up the holes in the wrapping paper
Industry team:
It’s not going to give you all the info you want…
Not designed to be a debriefing, but must present the SSA's rationale for the decision

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