Opinion ID: 666055
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Volume I--Device Design

Text: 118 Latecoere received acceptable ratings in nineteen of the twenty-one chapters in the Device Design volume of its proposal, and exceptional ratings on the other two chapters: the Gondola chapter and the Arm chapter. ETC ultimately received acceptable ratings in all twenty-one chapters, but four of those were the critical chapters that had had marginal ratings which the Advisory Council arbitrarily increased to acceptable. Urban characterized the superior features of Latecoere's Gondola and Arm proposals as superfluous technical benefits that would not warrant the additional cost of approximately $800,000 attributable to them. After reviewing Urban's decision, the GAO was unable to conclude that the [Selection Authority] acted unreasonably, but the GAO provided no explanation for its determination. Wyle, 1990 WL 293722 at  5. 119 A best value procurement purposefully solicits proposals with technical features exceeding minimum solicitation requirements. Moreover, the G-TIP Solicitation expressly induced offers with extraordinary safety features and stated that the highest priority in proposal evaluation would be placed on safety. Aside from Urban's statement that the Solicitation did not require Latecoere's superior features, he offered no explanation for his conclusion that Latecoere's greater safety features--which is what the Solicitation was designed to elicit--did not warrant the additional cost. Because Urban's sole stated rationale is incompatible with a best value procurement, it does not adequately support his decision to favor ETC in regard to device design. 120