Does the deciding contracting office investigate and certify the credentials and past history of the perspective private sector bidders to ensure we do not get into another “Haliburton” situation?
Yes. The cognizant Contracting Officer does conduct a responsibility and responsiveness analysis of private sector offerors. The responsibility determination takes into account such factors as past performance, integrity, compliance with law and financial resources. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15 – Contracting by Negotiation, SubPart 15.1 – Source Selection Processes and Techniques, outlines the government’s selection process.
