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Supplying Principles and Practices > USPS Supplying Practices Process Step 2: Evaluate Sources > Produce Contract Award Recommendation
After proposal evaluation, comparative analysis, and ranking of the proposals
(including price proposals), and. after any final discussions and negotiations
with selected suppliers, it must be determined which supplier (or suppliers)
offer the best value to the Postal Service. The Contracting Officer makes a
recommendation to the Purchase/SCM Team after consideration of the
information provided by the Proposal Evaluation Team.
Information to be considered in the decision are:
• the trade-off judgment between price and the value offered in a
supplier's proposal
• the relative value offered by a supplier or suppliers in relation to
the competition
• whether a lower cost is worth the lesser technical value (and
potentially higher risk), or whether a higher price is worth the
increased technical/managerial capabilities (and potentially lower
risk)
These judgments must be consistent with the relative significance of the
identified performance evaluation factors and the relationship of those factors
to cost/price factors as established in the proposal evaluation strategy and
described in the request for proposals (RFP).
The Contracting Officer must present his or her recommendation
accompanied by the findings of the Proposal Evaluation Team and other
relevant facts to the Purchase/SCM Team. All procedures, evaluation
techniques, Proposal Evaluation Team reports, record of negotiations, and
the best value determination must be formally documented and maintained in
the contract file. At a minimum, the contract file should include:
• Requirements Document
• Purchase plan
• Solicitation
• Proposals received in response to the solicitation
• Record of the discussions and negotiations held with the offerors
• Best value determination
• Supporting information such as past performance evaluation
records
• Contract award and notification to unsuccessful offerors
• Offerors documentation
• Any required reviews and approvals
• Any other documentation required by these Practices
The contract award recommendation is the determination of which supplier
offers the Postal Service the best value, and therefore should be awarded the
contract. The Contracting Officer is responsible for making the award
recommendation after consulting with the Purchase/SCM Team, as
necessary. The contract award recommendation is used as the basis for the
Notifications of Award topic of the Make Final Decisions task of Process Step
3: Select Suppliers. When consensus cannot be reached, the Contracting
Officer will make the best value decision.
Award documentation must be completed before notification of award.
Conduct Market Research and Benchmarking Analysis topic, Decide on
Make vs. Buy task, Process Step 1: Identify Needs
Update/Refine Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Analysis topic, Prepare Project
task, Process Step 2: Evaluate Sources
Assess Technology Implications topic, Evaluate Proposals task, Process
Step 2: Evaluate Sources
Perform Risk Analysis on Supplier Proposals topic, Evaluate Proposals task,
Process Step 2: Evaluate Sources
Award Contract and Notify Suppliers topic, Make Final Decisions task,
Process Step 3: Select Suppliers
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