D-5 Oral Presentations

Introduction

Oral presentations, as presented at FAR Part 15.102, provides offerors an opportunity to substitute or augment written information and can be conducted in person, via video teleconferencing, or a mix of the two. Pre-recorded videotaped presentations do not constitute an oral presentation since it does not represent a real-time exchange of information, however, recordings may be included in offeror submissions when appropriate.

Oral presentations can be beneficial in a variety of acquisitions and are most useful when the requirements are clear, complete, and are stated in performance or functional terms. Oral presentations may be ideal for gathering information related to how well offerors understand, will approach, and qualifications offerors are to perform required work.

Scope of the Oral Presentation

Before deciding if oral presentations will be allowed for a given acquisition, the PCO or SSA must first consider and determine if applicable state or country privacy laws will impact and or restrict recordings of presenters/presentations. If oral presentations are deemed acceptable, the PCO or SSA then decides if the information needed to be evaluated and if factors and subfactor criteria is best presented orally, in writing, or through a combination of both means.

Oral presentations cannot be incorporated into the contract by reference, so any information to be made part of the contract needs to be submitted in writing. At a minimum, the offeror must submit certifications, representations, and a signed offer sheet (including any exceptions to the government’s terms and conditions) in writing. Additionally, as a rule of thumb, the offeror must submit other hard data ("facts"), such as pricing or costing data and contractual commitments, as part of the written proposal.

Oral presentations can convey information in such diverse areas as responses to sample tasks, understanding the requirements, experience, and relevancy of past performance.

Require offerors to submit their briefing materials in advance of the presentations. This will allow government attendees an opportunity to review the materials and prepare any associated questions.

Request for Proposal Information

If oral presentations are appropriate, all offerors must be notified in the RFP that the government will use oral presentations to evaluate and select the contractor. The proposal preparation instructions must contain explicit instructions and guidance regarding the extent and nature of the process that will be used. Elaborate presentations should be discouraged since they may detract from the information being presented. At a minimum, include the following information in the RFP:

 The types of information the offeror must address during the oral presentations and how it relates to the evaluation criteria,

 The required format and content of the presentation charts and any supporting documentation,

 Any restrictions on the number of charts, the number of bullets per chart, and how material/ documentation will be handled that does not comply with the restrictions,

 The required submission date for presentation charts and/or materials,

 The approximate timeframe when the oral presentations will be conducted and how the order of the offerors’ presentations will be determined,

 Whether any rescheduling will be permitted if an offeror requests a change after the schedule has been established,

 The total amount of time each offeror will have to conduct their oral presentation,

 Who will make the presentation and a requirement that the offeror provide a list of names and position titles of presenters,

 Whether presentations will be by video, or audio taped,

 The location and a description of the presentation site and resources available to offerors,

 Any rules and/or prohibitions regarding equipment and media,

 How will documents or information referenced in the presentation material but never presented orally be treated,

 Any limitations on Government-Offeror interactions during and or after presentations,

 Whether presentations will constitute discussions (See Fi gu re 3-3),

 Whether use of information provided during oral presentations is solely for source selection purposes, or whether information will become part of the contract (which will in turn require a subsequent written submission of that information), and

 Whether offerors should include any cost/price data in their presentations.

Timing and Sequencing

Oral presentations can be conducted either before or after establishing the competitive range. When oral presentations are the only means of proposal submission, they must be presented by all offerors. If oral presentations are conducted prior to establishing the competitive range, care must be taken to ensure the presentations do not result in discussions.

Since preparing and presenting oral presentations involves time and expense, thought should be given regarding requiring offerors who are not likely to be serious candidates for award having to conduct oral presentations. This can be an important consideration with some small businesses. When this is or will likely be a concern, it is recommended to establish the competitive range prior to oral presentations and clearly articulate the methodology and order of process in the RFP.

The PCO will often draw lots to determine sequence of the offerors’ presentations. The time between the first and the last presentations should be as short as possible to minimize any perceived or actual advantages to the offerors that present later in the sequence.

Time Limits

Establish a total time limit for each offeror’s presentation. It is not advisable to limit the time for individual topics or sections within the presentation as this detail is at the discretion of and is the presenter’s responsibility to decide. If planning a question-and-answer session, it is excluded from the allotted time for presentations and a separate time limit it is established.

There is no ideal amount of time to be allotted for presentations and or question-and-answer sessions. The decision of how much time to allocate is determined based on prudent business judgment supported by the complexity of the acquisition and the PCO’s or others’ experience and lessons learned.

Facility

Ideally presentations will be conducted in a facility and environment that can be controlled. This helps guard against interruptions, distractions, and helps to ensure a more level playing field for all offerors and presenters. Nothing precludes oral presentations being conducted at offeror's facilities. This may be more efficient if site visits, or other demonstrations are part of the source selection process.

If using a government-controlled facility it should be made available for a pre-inspection, and if warranted a brief run-through of the agenda and order of events. Allowing offerors to get acquainted with the facility can help to minimize distractions during the presentation of content.

Recording the Presentations

Having an exact record of the presentation can prove useful during the evaluation process, and in the event of a protest or litigation. Oral presentations can be recorded using a variety of media, e.g., videotapes, audio tapes, written transcripts, or a copy of the offeror’s briefing slides or presentation notes. The SSA is responsible for determining the method and level of detail of the record.

Recording the presentation by some appropriate means is not only required by FAR 15.1029(e), but it also makes good business sense.

If using videotaping, allow for the natural behavior of the presenters. If slides or view graphs are used, the camera should view both the podium and screen at the same time. Microphones shall be placed so that all communications can be recorded clearly and at adequate volume. Every effort should be made to avoid letting the recording become the focus of the presentation.

The recording, which is considered source selection information, will become part of the official record. A copy of the recording shall be provided to the offeror, with the master copy sealed and securely stored by the government to ensure there are no allegations of tampering in the event of a protest or court action.

Government Attendance

The PCO should chair every presentation. All of the government personnel involved in evaluating the presentations should attend every presentation.

Presenters

The offeror’s key personnel who will perform or personally direct the work being described should conduct their relevant portions of the presentations. Key personnel include project managers, task leaders, and other in-house staff of the offerors, or their prospective key subcontractors’ organizations. This will avoid the oral presentation becoming the domain of a professional presenter, which would increase costs, detract from the advantages of oral presentations, and adversely affect small businesses.

Reviewing the Ground Rules

Prior to each presentation, the PCO shall review the ground rules with the attendees. This includes discussing any restrictions on Government-Offeror information exchanges, information disclosure rules, documentation requirements, and housekeeping items. These ground rules should also be included in the RFP.

If using a quiz as part of your evaluation, the PCO needs to discuss the related ground rules. For example, can the offeror caucus or contact outside sources by cell phone before answering?

Too much control and regulation should be avoided since it will inhibit the exchange of information. However, if intent is to avoid discussions, the PCO should control all exchanges during the presentations. If conducting oral presentations after opening discussions, compliance with FAR 15.306 and 15.307 is required.

Evaluation of Presentations

Evaluations should be performed immediately after each presentation. Using preprinted evaluation forms will help the evaluators collect their thoughts and impressions. Remember, even if preprinted forms are used, evaluators have to provide the rationale for their conclusions.