January 18, 2017
Why Procurement Officials Shouldn’t Fear Debriefings
Source: Nextgov, Mohana Ravindranath, January 5, 2017
The White House has a strong message for the government’s buying officials: talk to the companies that bid on a contract about why they did or didn’t win the award.
The Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy recently released a “myth-buster” memo clearing up misconceptions about debriefing meetings, the post-award discussions often requested by unsuccessful vendors curious about why they weren’t selected.
Among common practices OFPP tried to bust: “If a company brings a lawyer, cut the discussion short.”
Vendors may decide to bring a lawyer to a debriefing meeting because internal policies require them to have a lawyer present, the memo said. It doesn’t “necessarily signal a heightened potential for a protest or potential of a difficult conversation”—especially if the agency is prepared to answer questions. READ MORE….
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