United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao_comptroller_general legislative 2016-06-23 U.S. Government Publishing Office 2000-10-17 monographic deposited born digital 15 p. GA 1.13:B-285841 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-B-285841 P0b002ee18fd49e28 f:285841 DGPO 2016-06-23 2016-06-23 GAOREPORTS-B-285841 machine generated eng fdlp COMPTROLLERDECISION GAOREPORTS-B-285841 B-285841 Comptroller General Decision 1. Agency reasonably found the protester's proposed staffing levels too low in certain functional areas, based upon the agency's reasonable assessment of the time and effort required to perform the contract tasks and of the protester's approach to performing the work. 2. Agency conducted meaningful discussions with the protester concerning its low evaluated staffing levels in certain functional areas where the agency informed the protester of the agency's concerns and of the amount by which the agency found the protester's proposed staffing low in these areas. 3. Agency reasonably determined that employees within the function under study in a cost comparison under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 could be on the source selection evaluation board for the competition among private-sector offerors, where the agency determined that these employees would not be directly affected by the cost comparison because their positions were not in jeopardy. 4. Protest of a competition among private-sector offerors under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76, objecting that a source selection evaluation board evaluator whose spouse holds a position under study has a conflict of interest is denied, where the protester was not prejudiced by the evaluator's alleged conflict of interest because, even if that individual's evaluation is set aside, the protester's proposal was reasonably determined to be unacceptable. 5. Protest challenging the agency's use of a contractor to assist the agency in the preparation of the most efficient organization (MEO) and the evaluation of private-sector offers, including the preparation of an independent government estimate, in connection with a solicitation issued under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76, is denied, where the contractor used discrete sets of employees to perform the various tasks and used a "firewall" to keep confidential the preparation of the MEO and management study, as well as the evaluation of the offers. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-B-285841/html/GAOREPORTS-B-285841.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-B-285841/pdf/GAOREPORTS-B-285841.pdf GAO/B-285841 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-B-285841 Comptroller General Decision GAO/B-285841; IT Facility Services-Joint Venture, B-285841, October 17, 2000;