Decision Released: DHS TSA Agency Systems Operations and Maintenance Support Services Protest Denial

File No B-421749.4,B-421749.6,B-421749.8

Digest

1. Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of the protester’s proposal under an experience/past performance factor is denied where the protester’s arguments are premised on an unreasonable interpretation of the solicitation.
2. Protest of agency’s evaluation of proposals under a staffing elements factor is denied where the evaluation was consistent with the terms of the solicitation.
3. Protest that awardee has an unmitigated organizational conflict of interest is dismissed as academic where the agency waived the alleged conflict, and the waiver was consistent with the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Discussion

ManTech challenges various aspects of the conduct of the procurement. First, the protester challenges the agency’s evaluation of ManTech’s proposal under the experience factor. Next, ManTech argues that TSA’s evaluation of the offerors’ proposals under the staffing elements factor was unequal and otherwise unreasonable. The protester also contends that TSA failed to reasonably consider whether Maximus had a disqualifying impaired objectivity OCI. As discussed below, we find no basis to sustain any of ManTech’s protest allegations.[11]

At the outset, we note that the task order competition was conducted pursuant to FAR part 16. Under these provisions, the evaluation of proposals, including the determination of the relative merits of proposals, is primarily a matter within the contracting agency’s discretion, because the agency is responsible for defining its needs and the best method of accommodating them. CSRA LLC, B-417635 et al., Sept. 11, 2019, 2019 CPD ¶ 341 at 9. In reviewing protests challenging the evaluation of an offeror’s proposal, it is not our role to reevaluate proposals; rather, our Office examines the record to determine whether the agency’s judgment was

Decision

ManTech Advanced Systems International, Inc., of Herndon, Virginia, protests the issuance of a task order to Maximus Federal Services, of Reston, Virginia, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 70T020-21-R-7554N001, issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for services to support the operations and maintenance of various agency systems. The protester challenges various aspects of the agency’s evaluation of the offerors’ proposals, and the best-value tradeoff decision.

We deny the protest.

Read the decision here.

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