Overview
The Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA)/Enterprise Operations Center (DEOC) faced the challenge of ensuring accurate, effective, and on-schedule Technical Evaluation Board (TEB) reviews for competitive acquisition requirements that complied with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS).
Challenges
Inexperienced Teams and Lack of Focus: In DHRA’s annual bid protest for Congress, the Government Accountability Office reported 84 sustained bid protests in Fiscal Year 2020, representing a 9% increase from the previous fiscal year. This is a result of poor execution by TEB members who possess little to no experience evaluating quotes/proposals, or the inability to focus on solicitation and evaluation criteria.
Exceeding Planned Schedules: The lack of experience, tools, and consistency in TEB reviews contribute to delays in contract awards that place essential DHRA services at risk for lapses. Without the right tools, focus, and consensus on schedules, DHRA is at risk of failing to deliver its essential services to stakeholders.
Solutions
- Evaluation Training: This ensures all inexperienced TEB personnel understand their responsibilities as evaluators. Our source selection experts advised and guided DHRA TEB personnel through our customized source selection tools, solicitation requirements, and evaluation criteria to ensure consistent, compliant, and on-schedule TEB reviews.
- Facilitation of Technical Evaluation: WBD delivered customized source selection software tool and hardware, troubleshooting services, and consensus discussions. Our experts developed workflow designs, standardized templates, and consolidated feedback from TEB personnel to encourage fruitful reviews that aligned with solicitation and evaluation requirements.
- Secure Sensitive Source Selection Information: DHRA TEBs convene to evaluate quotes/proposals. Our team established local area networks (LANs) that were inaccessible to outside networks and non-TEB personnel by analyzing tools previously used at other Federal agencies.