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 2016-06-24 U.S. Government Publishing Office 2007-06-07 monographic deposited born digital 13 p. GA 1.13:B-297790.6 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-B-297790-6 P0b002ee18fd4b1ea f:2977906 DGPO 2016-06-24 2016-06-24 GAOREPORTS-B-297790-6 machine generated eng fdlp COMPTROLLERDECISION GAOREPORTS-B-297790-6 B-297790.6 Comptroller General Decision

1. Protester's opposition to, and GAO's denial of, agency's request for "outcome prediction" alternate dispute resolution (ADR) cannot serve as basis to disallow otherwise reasonable protest costs.<p/> 2. Protest costs that GAO recommended be reimbursed need not be allocated between issue for which GAO attorney indicated during "outcome prediction" ADR that the likely outcome would be a sustained protest and the other issues raised by the protester, where the issues are interconnected and based on common factual underpinnings.<p/> 3. Agency's generalized objections to attorneys' hours in claim for protest costs do not provide basis to justify denying adequately documented claim showing claimed hours were reasonable and in pursuit of the protest.<p/> 4. Protester's costs incurred questioning agency's proposed corrective action prior to GAO's disposition of protest based on agency's proposed corrective action are allowable protest costs.<p/> 5. In situations where GAO recommends that protest costs be reimbursed, protester's costs of preparing request to GAO for a recommendation that its protest costs be reimbursed because of unduly delayed agency corrective action on a clearly meritorious protest are allowable protest costs.<p/> 6. Attorney fee $150 cap contained in Competition in Contracting Act, 31 U.S.C. sect. 3554(c)(2)(B) (2000), is not applicable to attorneys' fees paid by small business protester.<p/> 7. Protester should be reimbursed its costs of pursuing claim for costs at GAO where the agency took no steps for 6 months to consider the claim when it was pending there and for the first time in its report on the claim provided non-meritorious arguments denying the bulk of the protester's claim. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-B-297790-6/html/GAOREPORTS-B-297790-6.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-B-297790-6/pdf/GAOREPORTS-B-297790-6.pdf GAO/B-297790.6 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-B-297790-6 Comptroller General Decision GAO/B-297790.6; B-297790.6, T Square Logistics Services Corporation, Inc.--Costs, June 7, 2007; Title 31 Section 3552 Title 31 Section 3553(a) 31 U.S.C. 3552 31 U.S.C. 3553(a)