Where the tradeoff source selection process is used to obtain best value, the subjective tradeoff process is appropriate for most Army source selections. The subjective tradeoff process provides the following benefits in source selection:

 The ability for offerors to propose various technical approaches that may be of benefit to the government. The competitive environment should encourage the freedom to do so depending upon what the solicitation places the most value/importance upon;

 The ability to have meaningful comparisons and establish discriminators among competing proposals;

 The ability to place a greater value on past performance by enabling discernment of an offeror’s performance record;

 The ability of the SSA to give consideration to the benefit/value of non-cost/price factor differences between offerors and to determine if those differences justify paying the cost/price differential between them.

When using this process, clearly:

 State the relative importance of the factors and subfactors;

 Describe, in Section L, the approaches or capabilities that the government places a higher value on for exceeding the threshold (minimum) requirements if applicable, and;

 Describe, in Section M, how the government will evaluate these areas and assign findings (strengths or significant strengths) correlated to the expected positive impact or benefit received when the offeror exceeds threshold requirements.

Use of Entry-Gate Criteria – As part of the subjective tradeoff source selection process, the DoD Source Selection Procedures allows for the use of entry-gate criteria. This is considered a combination approach utilizing concepts from both LPTA and Subjective Tradeoff. When determining your evaluation criteria, the PM and the PCO should closely examine the key requirements and carefully consider whether some objective elements (i.e., entry-gate criteria) could be evaluated using an acceptable/unacceptable or pass/fail rating methodology. During the evaluation of proposals, offerors must be determined to be acceptable or pass the entry-gate criteria in order to advance in the subjective tradeoff evaluation. When the requirement can be clearly stated with a corresponding standard of proof, using this combination approach with entry-gate criteria can simplify and streamline the evaluation process. See also Appendix C for more information on acceptable/ unacceptable criteria.