Plunder Scenario 20
You've issued an RFP for services to be purchased utilizing Federal funds. You've had concerns about the integrity of the evaluation panel and therefore added an unbiased neutral panel member. On the morning of oral presentations, you received notification from the federal agency that an offeror filed a complaint that the evaluations are tainted. What do you do?
AP Response:
When this situation occurred, the inclusion of a neutral, unbiased panel member proved invaluable. He was unaware of the concerns that prompted his selection, which preserved the integrity of his evaluation.
To defend the scoring, we conducted an analysis by systematically removing individual panel members or groups from the evaluation spreadsheet. In every scenario, the highest-ranking offeror remained consistent, reinforcing the validity of the outcome.
Additionally, the neutral panel member’s scores closely aligned with those of the end-users, further demonstrating that the evaluation reflected sound, reasonable judgment.