Guidelines for a Source Selection Plan
Although there is not a specific format for the source selection plan, its size and detail should reflect the complexity of the acquisition. You should include, at a minimum, a discussion of the following:
- A description of what you are buying. This description should be stated in functional terms to the maximum extent possible and use a minimum of technical language.
- A description of the evaluation organization structure. It may be helpful to include:
- An organization chart, showing the evaluation team's structure, or a brief description of how the team is organized.
- The duties and responsibilities of each element of the source selection team.
- The evaluation team's agenda and schedule.
- Information on the need for preparation and training of the evaluation team.
- Security procedures to be used by the evaluation team to protect classified, proprietary, or source selection information.
- Plans for presolicitation activities such as issuing a draft solicitation and holding a presolicitation and/or preproposal conference or Advance Planning Briefing for Industry.
- An acquisition strategy summary that includes an explanation of the contract type to be used (e.g., firm fixed price).
- The proposed evaluation factors and subfactors, their relative importance, and associated evaluation standards.
- A description of the evaluation process you are using (i.e., lowest price technically acceptable or tradeoff) and any innovative techniques, such as multiple phases or oral presentations, or tailoring. Include a description of the rating system you are using.
- A schedule of significant milestones that should cover, at a minimum, the period beginning with the designation of the source selection authority and continuing through the period from receipt of proposals through the signing of the contract, during which evaluation, negotiation, and selection take place.