[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 48, Volume 4] [Revised as of October 1, 2006] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 48CFR315.204-5] [Page 32-33] TITLE 48--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM CHAPTER 3--HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PART 315_CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION--Table of Contents Subpart 315.2_Solicitation and Receipt of Proposals and Information Sec. 315.204-5 Part IV--Representations and instructions. (a) Section K, Representations, certifications, and other statements of offerors. (1) This section shall begin with the following and continue with the applicable representations and certifications: To Be Completed by the Offeror: (The Representations and Certifications must be executed by an individual authorized to bind the offeror.) The offeror makes the following Representations and Certifications as part of its proposal (check or complete all appropriate boxes or blanks on the following pages). [fxsp0]_________________________________________________________________ (Name of Offeror) [fxsp0]_________________________________________________________________ (RFP No.) [fxsp0]_________________________________________________________________ (Signature of Authorized Individual) [fxsp0]_________________________________________________________________ (Date) [fxsp0]_________________________________________________________________ (Typed Name of Authorized Individual) Note: The penalty for making false statements in offers is prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 1001. (c) Section M, Evaluation factors for award--(1) General. (i) The evaluation factors must be developed by the project officer and submitted to the contracting officer in the request for contract (RFC) for inclusion in the request for proposal (RFP). Development of these factors and the assignment of the relative importance or weight to each require the exercise of judgment on a case-by-case basis because they must be tailored to the requirements of the individual acquisition. Since the factors will serve as a standard against which all proposals will be evaluated, it is imperative that they be chosen carefully to emphasize those considered to be critical in the selection of a contractor. (ii) The finalized evaluation factors cannot be changed except by a formal amendment to the RFP issued by the contracting officer. No factors other than those set forth in the RFP shall be used in the evaluation of proposals. (2) Review of evaluation factors. (i) The evaluation factors should be reviewed by the contracting officer in terms of the work statement. This review is not intended to dictate technical requirements to the program office or project officer, but rather to ensure that the evaluation factors are clear, concise, and fair so that all potential offerors are fully aware of the bases for proposal evaluation and are given an equal opportunity to compete. (ii) The project officer and the contracting officer should then review the evaluation factors together to ascertain the following: (A) The factors are described in sufficient detail to provide the offerors (and evaluators) with a total understanding of the factors to be involved in the evaluation process; (B) The factors address the key programmatic concerns which the offerors must be aware of in preparing proposals; (C) The factors are specifically applicable to the instant acquisition and are not merely restatements of factors from previous acquisitions which are not relevant to this acquisition; and (D) The factors are selected to represent only the significant areas of importance which must be emphasized rather than a multitude of factors. (All factors tend to lose importance if too many are included. Using too many factors will prove as detrimental as using too few.) (3) Examples of topics that form a basis for evaluation factors. Typical examples of topics that form a basis for the development of evaluation factors are listed in the following paragraphs. These examples are intended to assist in the development of actual evaluation factors for a specific acquisition and should only be used if they are applicable to that acquisition. They are not to be construed as actual examples of evaluation factors to be included in the RFP. (i) Understanding of the problem and statement of work: (ii) Method of accomplishing the objectives and intent of the statement of work; (iii) Soundness of the scientific or technical approach for executing the requirements of the statement of work [[Page 33]] (to include, when applicable, preliminary layouts, sketches, diagrams, other graphic representations, calculations, curves, and other data necessary for presentation, substantiation, justification, or understanding of the approach); (iv) Special technical factors, such as experience or pertinent novel ideas in the specific branch of science or technology involved; (v) Feasibility and/or practicality of successfully accomplishing the requirements (to include a statement and discussion of anticipated major difficulties and problem areas and recommended approaches for their resolution); (vi) Availability of required special research, test, and other equipment or facilities; (vii) Managerial capability (ability to achieve delivery or performance requirements as demonstrated by the proposed use of management and other personnel resources, and to successfully manage the project, including subcontractor and/or consultant efforts, if applicable, as evidenced by the management plan and demonstrated by previous experience); (viii) Availability, qualifications, experience, education, and competence of professional, technical, and other personnel, to include proposed subcontractors and consultants (as evidenced by resumes, endorsements, and explanations of previous efforts); (ix) Soundness of the proposed staff time or labor hours, propriety of personnel classifications (professional, technical, others), necessity for type and quantity of material and facilities proposed, validity of proposed subcontracting, and necessity of proposed travel; (x) Quality of offeror's past performance on recent projects of similar size and scope; and (xi) Extent of proposed participation of small disadvantaged business concerns in performance of the contract.