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GAO-16-270SP 1 (2015-12-10)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadrsa0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 




c;AO U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
441 G St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20548


B- 158766


December 10, 2015

       Re: GAO Bid Protest Annual Report to Congqress for Fiscal Year 2015

Congressional Committees:

This letter responds to the requirements of the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984,
31 U.S.C. § 3554(e)(2) (CICA), that the Comptroller General report to Congress each instance
in which a federal agency did not fully implement a recommendation made by our Office in
connection with a bid protest decided the prior fiscal year. We also provide data concerning our
overall protest filings for the fiscal year. Finally, this letter addresses the requirement that our
report include a summary of the most prevalent grounds for sustaining protests during the
preceding year. Id.

Agency Failure to Fully Implement Recommendations

For fiscal year 2015, one federal agency declined to implement the recommendations made by
our Office in connection with a bid protest. By letter dated September 28, 2015, we reported an
occurrence involving the Department of State: Caddell Construction Company, Inc.,
B-411005.1, B-411005.2, Apr. 20, 2015, 2015 CPD  132. As explained in our September 28
letter, in sustaining the protest, we reaffirmed our prior decision in Caddell Construction
Company, Inc., B-298949.2, Jan. 10, 2007, 2007 CPD  119, holding that 22 U.S.C.
§ 4852(c)(2)(E) requires potential offerors for diplomatic construction projects to have achieved
business volume equal to or exceeding the value of the project being solicited in each of three
years of the 5-year period prior to issuance of the solicitation. The Department of State has
taken the position that under 22 U.S.C. § 4852(c)(2)(E), three years of a firm's receipts can be
aggregated to achieve the required minimum business volume.

Enclosed for your information is a copy of our letter of September 28, 2015 reporting the
Department of State's failure to implement our recommendations.

Summary of Overall Protest Filings

During the 2015 fiscal year, we received 2,639 cases: 2,496 protests, 53 cost claims, and
90 requests for reconsideration. We closed 2,647 cases during the fiscal year: 2,522 protests,
44 cost claims, and 81 requests for reconsideration. Of the 2,647 cases closed, 335 were
attributable to GAO's bid protest jurisdiction over task orders. With this letter we have included
a chart comparing bid protest activity for fiscal years 2011-2015.

Most Prevalent Grounds for Sustaining Protests

Of the protests resolved on the merits during fiscal year 2015, our Office sustained 12 percent
of those protests. Our review shows that the most prevalent reasons for sustaining protests


GAO-1 6-270SP

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