Proposal Adequacy Checklist.pdf

July 2008

PROPOSAL ADEQUACY CHECKLIST

PREPARATION GUIDELINES

The attached information is provided to assist contractors in preparing and submitting an adequate and compliant cost proposal. The purpose of the submission of cost or pricing data is to enable Government personnel to perform cost or price analysis and ultimately negotiate a fair and reasonable price.

The responsibility for providing adequate supporting data and attachments lies solely with the contractor. Further, the contractor must also bear the burden of proof in establishing reasonableness of proposed costs; therefore, it is in the contractor’s best interest to submit a fully supportable and well-prepared cost proposal. The basis and rationale for all proposed costs should be provided as part of the proposal so that Government personnel can place reliance on the information as current, complete, and accurate.

FAR 15.403-4 sets forth those circumstances in which contractors are required to submit certified cost or pricing data. The enclosed checklist must be completed by the contractor and submitted as part of the proposal. The basis for selecting the columns entitled “no” or “N/A” must be addressed in the explanation column for each item. Non-compliances with the enclosed checklist may result in the return of your proposal and you will be expected to provide a revised, adequate proposal within 30 days. Minor non-compliances will require immediate correction in order to proceed with proposal evaluation and negotiations.

PROPOSAL ADEQUACY CHECKLIST

ITEM DESCRIPTION YES

NO

N/A

EXPLANATION

1. A properly completed first page of the proposal or a summary format as specified by the Contracting Officer in the solicitation. (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

2. Index, appropriately referenced, of all cost or pricing data and information accompanying it or identified in the proposal provided. (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

3. If an exemption from the submission of certified cost or pricing data is claimed for any part of the proposal, is it supported and documented based on FAR 15.403-1?

4. A summary of total cost by element cross-referencing to supporting cost or pricing data. (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

5. If more than one CLIN/Sub-CLIN is proposed, is the cost or pricing data provided by CLIN/SubCLIN as required per FAR 15.408, Table 15-2?

6. If more than one contract line item (CLIN) is proposed, are summary total amounts covering all line items furnished for each cost element and cross-referenced to each proposed line item?

7. Are CLIN/Sub-CLIN prices submitted by cost element by year? Identify if by Calendar Year (CY) or Fiscal Year (FY) or both, as required.

8. Is a cost element breakdown using the applicable format prescribed in FAR 15.408, Table 15-2 provided for each proposed line item, and does it reflect any specific requirements established by the contracting officer? (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

9. Are cost elements provided by year for the total cost summary? Identify if by Calendar Year (CY) or Fiscal Year (FY) or both, as required.

10. Are recurring and non-recurring costs segregated?

11. If an incentive contract type, is rationale for contract geometry included?

12. Is a consolidated priced Bill of Materials (BOM) included and the basis for pricing (i.e. vendor quotes, purchase orders, history, competition, subcontract analysis)? (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2) For all items proposed, identify the item and show the source, quantity, and price. This consolidated BOM should be sorted by supplier by category (e.g. raw material, purchased parts, subcontracts) with the capability to sort by descending order by extended dollar value of part numbers.

13. If none of the exceptions to TINA apply, the subcontractor is required to submit certified cost or pricing data per FAR 15.408, Table 15-2. Provide a copy of cost or pricing data for each subcontract where the proposed price exceeds $11,500,000 or is both more than $650,000 and more than 10 percent of the prime contractor’s proposal.

14. Did the proposal provide the basis for establishing the source and reasonableness of price for each subcontract or purchase order priced on a noncompetitive basis exceeding the current threshold established at FAR 15.408 to include Price Analysis and Cost Analyses for subcontractors over the TINA threshold of $650,000? (FAR 15.408, Table 15-

2) If the analyses are not included, provide a matrix showing item description, subcontractor, proposal receipt date, fact-finding completion date, Cost/Price Analysis completion date, negotiation completion date and date for contract award.

15. Provide cost analysis of the proposed inter-organizational transfers and a breakdown of the proposed costs by element when the proposed transfers are based on cost. (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

16. Provide an explanation of the pricing method used for proposed inter-organizational transfers when the proposed transfers are based on other than cost. (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

17. Is data provided showing degree of competition and the basis for establishing the source and reasonableness of price for each subcontract or purchase order priced on a competitive basis exceeding the threshold established at FAR 15.408? (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

18. If applicable, determine whether a particular subcontract item meets the definition of a commercial item.

(DFAR 244.402) If it does, provide a Commercial Item Determination to address the particulars of how this determination was made.

19. Provide a Price Analysis for each subcontracted item that meets the definition of a commercial item. Identify what information is being used to determine price reasonableness, such as sales data or information other than cost or pricing data.

20. Are the Basis of Estimates (BOEs) included for all cost elements with detailed rationale to support the estimates?

ITEM DESCRIPTION

YES

21. For labor BOEs, does the proposal include labor categories, task descriptions, Statement of Work (SOW) reference, applicable CLIN, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), rationale, applicable history, and time-phasing?

22. Does the proposal include a list of other direct costs and the basis for pricing? (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2) If travel is discretely estimated include purpose, number of trips, number of people, number of days, locations, and rates.

23. Does the proposal identify actual hours, costs incurred as well as hours/cost to complete and the timing associated with these hours/costs? This information is to be in the same format and tracked to the applicable cost elements of the proposal.

24. Provide all rates and factors by year utilized in the development of the proposal and the basis of those rates and factors. If agreement has been reached with Government representatives on use of forward pricing rates/factors, identify the agreement, include a copy and describe its nature. (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

25. If the proposal is for a modification or change order, have debits and credits been provided in accordance with FAR 15.408, Table 15-2?

a. For deleted work provide the current estimates of what the cost would have been to complete the deleted work not yet performed (not the original proposal estimates), and the cost of deleted work already performed.

The cost of all deleted work performed should be separately identified.

b. For added work provide the current estimate of the cost of work added by the change. When nonrecurring costs are significant, or when specifically requested to do so by the contracting officer, the contractor should provide a full identification and explanation of the nonrecurring costs. When any of the costs have already been incurred, these should be described on an attached supporting schedule.

26. If facilities capital cost of money is proposed, has the supporting rationale been provided?

27. The location and point of contact for any cost or pricing data which is identified, but not included, in the proposal.

28. Does the proposal disclose the judgmental factors applied and the mathematical or other methods used in the estimate, including those used in projecting from known data? (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

29. Disclosure of any other known activity that could materially impact the costs such as existing excess material, changes in production methods, make versus buy decisions, company re-organizations, new business or new technology.

30. Does the proposal disclose the nature and amount of any contingencies included in the proposed price? (FAR 15.408, Table 15-2)

31. For price revisions/re-determinations follow the format in FAR 15.408, Table 15-2 Paragraph III.C.

32. If Royalties exceed $1,500, provide the information identified in FAR 15.408, Table 15-2 Paragraph II.E.

33. If Economic Price Adjustments are being requested, does the proposal include anticipated indices and rationale for their use?

34. If Performance-Based Payments are being requested, does the proposal include a monthly cost expenditure profile, proposed events and their projected dates, proposed values for each event, completion criteria, and identification of which events are severable or cumulative?

35. In accordance with DFARS 252.215-7003 Excessive Pass-through Charges – Identification of Subcontract Effort, provide the following information:

a. Identify in the proposal the total cost of the work to be performed by the offeror and the total cost of the work to be performed by each subcontractor.

b. If the offeror intends to subcontract more than 70% of the total cost of work to be performed, does the proposal identify (i) the amount of the offeror’s indirect costs and profit applicable to the work to be performed by the subcontractor(s) and (ii) a description of the added value provided by the offeror as related to the work to be performed by the subcontractor(s)?

c. If any subcontractor intends to subcontract more than 70% of the total cost of work to be performed, does the prime contractor’s proposal identify (i) the amount of the subcontractor’s indirect costs and profit applicable to the work to be performed by the subcontractor(s) and (ii) a description of the added value provided by the subcontractor as related to the work to be performed by the subcontractor(s)?