It is not surprising that after four protests of the same task order, three corrective actions by the agency, and four evaluations of technical proposals, the final evaluation ratings may differ from prior evaluations.
Such variations are not necessarily improper as the GAO made clear in a recent protest.
On January 29, 2016, the GAO released a decision denying a protest filed by MILVETS Systems Technology, Inc., B-409051.7; B-409051.9. The procurement history at issue in MILVETS was complicated, beginning with the release of the solicitation by the Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) in July 2013. In sum, two consecutive awards were made to MILVETS and each was protested, causing the USDA to take corrective action twice by reevaluating technical proposals.
After the second award to MILVETS was protested, the USDA assembled a new technical evaluation panel (“TEP”) and source selection authority (“SSA”) that had no knowledge of the first two evaluations. The new TEP reevaluated quotations and the new SSA awarded a task order to DKW Communications, Inc. MILVETS protested the third award, causing the USDA to take yet another round of corrective action by amending the solicitation and seeking revised quotations.
Keep reading this article at: http://govcon.mofo.com/protests-litigation/gao-clarifies-rule-on-differing-technical-reevaluations/