Requiring offices and contracting offices should conduct source selection planning for all acquisitions.  For smaller and less complex acquisitions, the planning is informal, but using the DoD Source Selection Procedures as a guide is a good practice.

There are times, however, when a more formal and written source selection plan is required.  The DoD Source Selection Procedures states in paragraph 2.2, “A written Source Selection Plan is required for all competitive acquisitions that use these source selection procedures.”  The DoD Source Selection Procedures defines when the procedures should be used in paragraph 1.2 which states, “These procedures are applicable to all acquisitions conducted as part of a major system acquisition program, as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101, and all competitively negotiated FAR part 15 acquisitions with an estimated value greater than $10 million.”  There are some exceptions to this requirement and they are spelled out in paragraph 1.2.1 of the Source Selection Procedures.  These exceptions include Federal Supply Schedules, acquisition of certain commercial items, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, Sealed Bidding, and others.  In other words, if your acquisition is for a major system or you are using FAR part 15 procedures and your acquisition is over $10 million, the use of the DoD Source Selection procedures is required, therefore a written acquisition plan is required, unless one of the exceptions applies.

DAU offers two workshops to aid your organization in the source selection process.  One workshop focuses on the DoD Source Selection Procedures and how they work with the requirements spelled out in the FAR.  You can find more information about this workshop at http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/courses.aspx?crs_id=1633.  Another workshop is a source selection simulation where your team works through a simulated source selection to practice and prepare for your actual source selection.  For more information about the source selection simulation, go to https://www.dau.mil/training/career-development/contracting/blog/DAU-Source-Selection-Simulation-(Triple-S)-Intact-Training.