FEDERAL CONTRACTING: Information on Agencies' Use of the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Process
Abstract
When awarding a contract competitively, agencies can evaluate proposals using a best value, LPTA process that assesses which firm offered the lowest priced technically acceptable proposal. Section 813 of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2017, as amended, included limitations on DODs use of the LPTA process and required DOD to revise its acquisition regulation to reflect new criteria for use of the LPTA process. Section 880 of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2019 required the FAR to be updated with similar requirements for civilian agencies. Sections 813 and 880 also included provisions for GAO to report on the number of instances where the LPTA process was used for contracts exceeding $5 million. This report describes (1) the status of regulatory changes governing the use of the LPTA process; and (2) the extent to which DOD and selected civilian agencies used the LPTA process to competitively award contracts and orders valued over $5 million in fiscal year 2018. GAO interviewed DOD and civilian agency officials involved in revising the DFARS and the FAR. GAO used data from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation to select the top four DOD components and the top five civilian agencies based on the total number of contracts and orders valued at $5 million or more and competitively awarded in fiscal year 2018. Using this data, GAO developed generalizable samples to estimate these components and agencies use of the LPTA process in fiscal year 2018.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1166678
Entities
People
- Alyssa Weir
- Heather B. Miller
- Julia Kennon
- Justin Jaynes
- Khristi Wilkins
- Lori Fields
- Lorraine Ettaro
- Matthew T. Crosby
- Sarah Cantatore
- Sarah Martin
- Stephanie Gustafson
- Timothy J. Dinapoli
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office