OAR 137-048-0220: Formal Selection Procedure

(1) Subject to OAR 137-048-0130 (Applicable Selection Procedures; Pricing Information; Disclosure of Proposals), Contracting Agencies shall use the formal selection procedure described in this rule to select a Consultant if the Consultant cannot be selected under either 137-048-0200 (Direct Appointment Procedure) or under 137-048-0210 (Informal Selection Procedure). The formal selection procedure described in this rule may otherwise be used at Contracting Agencies’ discretion. (2) Contracting Agencies using the formal selection procedure shall obtain Contracts through public advertisement of RFPs, or Requests for Qualifications followed by RFPs. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a Contracting Agency shall advertise each RFP and RFQ at least once in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the area where the Project is located and in as many other issues and publications as may be necessary or desirable to achieve adequate competition. Other issues and publications may include, but are not limited to, local newspapers, trade journals, and publications targeted to reach disadvantaged business enterprise (“DBE”), Veteran-owned business (“VB”), minority business enterprise (“MBE”), women business enterprise (“WBE”) and emerging small business enterprise (“ESB”) audiences. (A) A Contracting Agency shall publish the advertisement within a reasonable time before the deadline for the Proposal submission or response to the RFQ or RFP, but in any event no fewer than fourteen (14) calendar days before the closing date set forth in the RFQ or RFP. (B) A Contracting Agency shall include a brief description of the following items in the advertisement: (i) The Project; (ii) A description of the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services the Contracting Agency seeks; (iii) How and where Consultants may obtain a copy of the RFQ or RFP; and (iv) The deadline for submitting a Proposal or response to the RFQ or RFP. (b) In the alternative to advertising in a newspaper as described in subsection (2)(a) of this rule, the Contracting Agency shall publish each RFP and RFQ by one or more of the electronic methods identified in OAR 137-046-0110(14). The Contracting Agency shall comply with subsections (2)(a)(A) and (2)(a)(B) of this rule when publishing advertisements by electronic methods. (c) A Contracting Agency may send notice of the RFP or RFQ directly to all Consultants on the Contracting Agency’s list of Consultants that is created and maintained under OAR 137-048-0120 (List of Interested Consultants; Performance Record). (3) Request for Qualifications Procedure. Contracting Agencies may use the RFQ procedure to evaluate potential Consultants and establish a short list of qualified Consultants to whom the Contracting Agency may issue an RFP for some or all of the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFQ. (a) A Contracting Agency shall include the following, at a minimum, in each RFQ: (A) A brief description of the Project for which the Contracting Agency is seeking a Consultant; (B) A description of the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services the Contracting Agency seeks for the Project; (C) Conditions or limitations, if any, that may constrain or prohibit the selected Consultant’s ability to provide additional services related to the Project, including but not limited to construction services; (D) The deadline for submitting a response to the RFQ; (E) A description of required Consultant qualifications for the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services the Contracting Agency seeks; (F) The RFQ evaluation criteria, including weights, points or other classifications applicable to each criterion; (G) A statement whether or not the Contracting Agency will hold a pre-qualification meeting for all interested Consultants to discuss the Project and the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFQ and if a pre-qualification meeting will be held, the location of the meeting and whether or not attendance is mandatory; and (H) A Statement that Consultants responding to the RFQ do so solely at their expense, and that the Contracting Agency is not responsible for any Consultant expenses associated with the RFQ. (b) A Contracting Agency may include a request for any or all of the following in each RFQ: (A) A statement describing Consultants’ general qualifications and related performance information; (B) A description of Consultants’ specific qualifications to perform the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFQ including Consultants’ committed resources and recent, current and projected workloads; (C) A list of similar Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services and references concerning past performance, including but not limited to price and cost data from previous projects, quality of work, ability to meet schedules, cost control and contract administration; (D) A copy of all records, if any, of Consultants’ performance under Contracts with any other Contracting Agency; (E) The number of Consultants’ experienced staff committed to perform the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFQ, including such personnel’s specific qualifications and experience and an estimate of the proportion of time that such personnel would spend on those services; (F) Consultants’ approaches to Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFQ and design philosophy, if applicable; (G) Consultants’ geographic proximity to and familiarity with the physical location of the Project; (H) Consultants’ Ownership status and employment practices regarding women, minorities and emerging small businesses or historically underutilized businesses; (I) If the Contracting Agency is selecting a Consultant to provide Related Services, Consultants’ pricing policies and pricing Proposals or other pricing information, including the number of hours estimated for the services required, expenses, hourly rates and overhead; (J) Consultants’ ability to assist a State Contracting Agency in complying with art acquisition requirements, pursuant to ORS 276.073 through 276.090; (K) Consultants’ ability to assist a State Contracting Agency in complying with State of Oregon energy efficient design requirements, pursuant to ORS 276.900 through 276.915; (L) Consultants’ ability to assist a Contracting Agency in complying with the energy technology requirements of ORS 279C.527 and 279C.528; (M) Whether the Consultant owes a liquidated and delinquent debt to the State of Oregon; and (N) Any other information the Contracting Agency deems reasonably necessary to evaluate Consultants’ qualifications. (c) If a Local Contracting Agency will use a Request for Qualifications followed by an RFP to procure Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services under this rule and the Local Contracting Agency intends to use pricing policies, proposals or other pricing information as part of the Local Contracting Agency’s screening and selection of prospective Consultants, pursuant to ORS 279C.110(5), the Local Contracting Agency cannot request cost proposals or otherwise use pricing policies, proposals or other pricing information as part of the Request for Qualifications. The Local Contracting Agency may only request cost proposals or otherwise use pricing policies, proposals or other pricing information during the RFP process, following the establishment of a short list of qualified Consultants through the Request for Qualifications process. (d) RFQ Evaluation Committee. The Contracting Agency shall establish an RFQ evaluation committee of at least two (2) individuals to review, score and rank the responding Consultants according to the evaluation criteria. The Contracting Agency may appoint to the evaluation committee Contracting Agency employees or employees of other public agencies with experience in Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services, Related Services, construction services or Public Contracting. If the Contracting Agency procedure permits, the Contracting Agency may include on the evaluation committee private practitioners of architecture, engineering, photogrammetry, transportation planning, land surveying or related professions. The Contracting Agency shall designate one member of the evaluation committee as the evaluation committee chairperson. (e) A Contracting Agency may use any reasonable screening or evaluation method to establish a short list of qualified Consultants, including but not limited to, the following: (A) Requiring Consultants responding to an RFQ to achieve a threshold score before qualifying for placement on the short list; (B) Placing a pre-determined number of the highest scoring Consultants on a short list; (C) Placing on a short list only those Consultants with certain essential qualifications or experience, whose practice is limited to a particular subject area, or who practice in a particular geographic locale or region, provided that such factors are material, would not unduly restrict competition, and were announced as dispositive in the RFQ. (f) After the evaluation committee reviews, scores and ranks the responding Consultants, the Contracting Agency shall establish a short list of at least three qualified Consultants, if feasible; provided however, if four or fewer Consultants responded to the RFQ or if fewer than three Consultants fail to meet the Contracting Agency’s minimum requirements, then: (A) The Contracting Agency may establish a short list of fewer than three qualified Consultants; or (B) The Contracting Agency may cancel the RFQ and issue an RFP. (g) No Consultant will be eligible for placement on a Contracting Agency’s short list established under subsection (3)(d) of this rule if Consultant or any of Consultant’s principals, partners or associates are members of the Contracting Agency’s RFQ evaluation committee. (h) Except when the RFQ is cancelled, a Contracting Agency shall provide a copy of the subsequent RFP to each Consultant on the short list. (4) Formal Selection of Consultants through Request for Proposals. Contracting Agencies shall use the procedure described in section (4) of this rule when issuing an RFP for a Contract described in section (1) of this rule. (a) RFP Required Contents. Except as otherwise provided in Sections (4)(b) and (4)(c) of this rule, Contracting Agencies using the formal selection procedure shall include at least the following in each RFP, whether or not the RFP is preceded by an RFQ: (A) General background information, including a description of the Project and the specific Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services sought for the Project, the estimated Project cost, the estimated time period during which the Project is to be completed, and the estimated time period in which the specific Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services sought will be performed; (B) The RFP evaluation process and the criteria which will be used to select the most qualified Proposer, including the weights, points or other classifications applicable to each criterion. If the Contracting Agency does not indicate the applicable number of points, weights or other classifications, then each criterion is of equal value. Evaluation criteria may include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) Proposers’ availability and capability to perform the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP; (ii) Experience of Proposers’ key staff persons in providing similar Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services, or Related Services on comparable projects; (iii) The amount and type of resources, and number of experienced staff persons Proposers have committed to perform the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP; (iv) The recent, current and projected workloads of the staff and resources referenced in section (4)(a)(B)(iii), above; (v) The proportion of time Proposers estimate that the staff referenced in section (4)(a)(B)(iii), above, would spend on the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP; (vi) Proposers’ demonstrated ability to complete successfully similar Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services on time and within budget, including whether or not there is a record of satisfactory performance under OAR 137-048-0120 (List of Interested Consultants; Performance Record); (vii) References and recommendations from past clients; (viii) Proposers’ performance history in meeting deadlines, submitting accurate estimates, producing high quality work, meeting financial obligations, price and cost data from previous projects, cost controls and contract administration; (ix) Status and quality of any required license or certification; (x) Proposers’ knowledge and understanding of the Project and Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP as shown in Proposers’ approaches to staffing and scheduling needs for the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services and proposed solutions to any perceived design and constructability issues; (xi) Results from interviews, if conducted; (xii) Design philosophy, if applicable, and approach to the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP; (xiii) Whether the Consultant owes a liquidated and delinquent debt to the State of Oregon. (xiv) If the Contracting Agency is selecting a Consultant to provide Related Services, pricing policies and pricing Proposals or other pricing information, including the number of hours proposed for the services required, expenses, hourly rates and overhead; and (xv) Any other criteria that the Contracting Agency deems relevant to the Project and the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP, including, where the nature and budget of the Project so warrant, a design competition between competing Proposers. Provided, however, these additional criteria cannot include pricing policies, pricing Proposals or other pricing information, including the number of hours proposed for the services required, expenses, hourly rates and overhead, when the sole purpose or predominant purpose of the RFP is to obtain Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services. (C) Conditions or limitations, if any, that may constrain or prohibit the selected Consultant’s ability to provide additional services related to the Project, including but not limited to construction services; (D) Whether interviews are possible and if so, the weight, points or other classifications applicable to the potential interview; (E) The date and time Proposals are due, and the delivery location for Proposals; (F) Reservation of the right to seek clarifications of each Proposal; (G) Reservation of the right to negotiate a final Contract that is in the best interest of the Contracting Agency; (H) Reservation of the right to reject any or all Proposals and reservation of the right to cancel the RFP at any time if doing either would be in the public interest as determined by the Contracting Agency; (I) A Statement that Proposers responding to the RFP do so solely at their expense, and Contracting Agency is not responsible for any Proposer expenses associated with the RFP; (J) A statement directing Proposers to the protest procedures set forth in these division 48 rules; (K) Special Contract requirements, including but not limited to DBE, MBE, WBE, ESB and VB participation goals or good faith efforts with respect to DBE, MBE, WBE, ESB and VB participation, and federal requirements when federal funds are involved; (L) A statement whether or not the Contracting Agency will hold a pre-Proposal meeting for all interested Consultants to discuss the Project and the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP and if a pre-Proposal meeting will be held, the location of the meeting and whether or not attendance is mandatory; (M) A request for any information the Contracting Agency deems reasonably necessary to permit the Contracting Agency to evaluate, rank and select the most qualified Proposer to perform the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP; and (N) A sample form of the Contract. (b) RFP Contents for Related Services Selections Based on Price Only. Contracting Agencies using the formal selection procedure shall include at least the following in each RFP, whether or not the RFP is preceded by an RFQ, when the formal selection procedure is for Related Services selected on the basis of price Proposals and other pricing information only: (A) General background information, including a description of the Project and the specific Related Services sought for the Project, the estimated Project cost, the estimated time period during which the Project is to be completed, and the estimated time period in which the specific Related Services sought will be performed; (B) The RFP evaluation process and the price criteria which will be used to select the highest ranked Proposer, including the weights, points or other classifications applicable to each criterion. If the Contracting Agency does not indicate the applicable number of points, weights or other classifications, then each criterion is of equal value. Evaluation price criteria may include, but are not limited to, the total price for the Related Services described in the RFP, Consultant pricing policies, and other pricing information such as the Consultant’s estimated number of staff hours needed to perform the Related Services described in the RFP, expenses, hourly rates and overhead; (C) Any minimum or pass-fail qualifications that the Proposers must meet, including but not limited to any such qualifications in the subject matter areas described in section (4)(a)(B)(i) through section (4)(a)(B)(xii) of this rule; and (D) The information listed in section (4)(a)(C) through section (4)(a)(N) of this rule pertaining to the Related Services described in the RFP. (c) RFP Contents for Local Contracting Agencies’ Selection of Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services with Pricing Policies, Proposals or Other Pricing Information. Local Contracting Agencies that will be including pricing policies, proposals or other pricing information in the Local Contracting Agencies’ formal selection procedure criteria for Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services pursuant to ORS 279C.110(5) shall meet the following minimum requirements for each RFP: (A) If the Local Contracting Agency has used the Request for Qualifications procedure in Section (3) of this rule to evaluate potential Consultants and establish a short list of qualified Consultants pursuant to ORS 279C.110(5), the RFP must meet the requirements of ORS 279C.110(5) that address the second phase of the selection process applicable to the short list of no more than three of the highest ranked prospective consultants that were identified in the initial phase of the selection process described in ORS 279C.110(5)(a) and (b). (B) If the Local Contracting Agency has elected to not use the Request for Qualifications procedure in Section (3) of this rule, and will use only an RFP in the Local Contracting Agency’s use of the formal selection procedure, the Local Contracting Agency shall include at least the following in the RFP: (i) The information set forth in ORS 279C.110(5)(a). In providing an estimate of the cost of the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services described in the RFP, the Local Contracting Agency may provide a specific estimate of that cost, or a range of estimated costs; (ii) In the initial phase of the RFP, provisions describing the Local Contracting Agency’s evaluation of each prospective Consultant on the basis of each Consultant’s qualifications to perform the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services described in the RFP, with those qualifications including the criteria set forth in subsections (4)(a)(B)(i) through (4)(a)(B)(xiii) and (4)(a)(B)(xv) of this rule; (iii) At the end of the initial phase of the RFP, provisions describing the Local Contracting Agency’s evaluation scores of each Consultant and rank of each Consultant according to the evaluation scores. The Local Contracting Agency shall identify up to three (3) of the highest ranked prospective Consultants as being qualified to perform the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services described in the RFP, and as being eligible to participate in the second phase of the RFP process; (iv) In the second phase of the RFP, provisions describing the Local Contracting Agency’s request of a pricing proposal from each of the highest ranked prospective Consultants identified in the initial phase of the RFP, pursuant to the requirements of ORS 279C.110(5)(c)(A) and (B); (v) Provisions describing the Local Contracting Agency’s evaluation of the highest ranked prospective Consultants that have decided to provide price proposals. In the Local Contracting Agency’s final evaluation of the prospective Consultants who have provided price proposals, the Local Contracting Agency cannot assign more than fifteen (15) percent of the overall weight of the evaluation criteria in the second phase of the RFP to each Consultant’s price proposal; (d) RFP Evaluation Committee. The Contracting Agency shall establish a committee of at least three individuals to review, score and rank Proposals according to the evaluation criteria set forth in the RFP. If the RFP has followed an RFQ, the Contracting Agency may include the same members who served on the RFQ evaluation committee. The Contracting Agency may appoint to the evaluation committee Contracting Agency employees or employees of other public agencies with experience in Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying, Related Services, construction services or Public Contracting. At least one member of the evaluation committee must be a Contracting Agency employee. If the Contracting Agency procedure permits, the Contracting Agency may include on the evaluation committee private practitioners of architecture, engineering, land surveying or related professions. The Contracting Agency shall designate one of its employees who also is a member of the evaluation committee as the evaluation committee chairperson. (A) No Proposer will be eligible for award of the Contract under the RFP if Proposer or any of Proposer’s principals, partners or associates are members of the Contracting Agency’s RFP evaluation committee for the Contract; (B) If the RFP provides for the possibility of Proposer interviews, the evaluation committee may elect to interview Proposers if the evaluation committee considers it necessary or desirable. If the evaluation committee conducts interviews, it shall award weights, points or other classifications indicated in the RFP for the anticipated interview; and (C) The evaluation committee shall provide to the Contracting Agency the results of the scoring and ranking for each Proposer. (e) If the Contracting Agency does not cancel the RFP after it receives the results of the scoring and ranking for each Proposer, the Contracting Agency will begin negotiating a Contract with the highest ranked Proposer. The Contracting Agency shall direct Contract negotiations toward discussing, refining and finalizing the following: (A) The specific scope of Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services to be provided by the Consultant; (B) The Consultant’s performance obligations and performance schedule; (C) Payment methodology, Consultant’s rates and number of hours, and a maximum amount payable to the Consultant for the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services required under the Contract that is fair and reasonable to the Contracting Agency as determined solely by the Contracting Agency, taking into account the value, scope, complexity and nature of the Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services; and (D) Any other conditions or provisions the Contracting Agency believes to be in the Contracting Agency’s best interest to negotiate. (f) The Contracting Agency shall, either orally or in writing, formally terminate negotiations with the highest ranked Proposer if the Contracting Agency and Proposer are unable for any reason to reach agreement on a Contract within a reasonable amount of time. The Contracting Agency may thereafter negotiate with the second ranked Proposer, and if necessary, with the third ranked Proposer, and so on if applicable, in accordance with section (4)(e) of this rule, until negotiations result in a Contract. If negotiations with any Proposer do not result in a Contract within a reasonable amount of time, the Contracting Agency may end the particular formal solicitation. Nothing in this rule precludes a Contracting Agency from proceeding with a new formal solicitation for the same Architectural, Engineering, Photogrammetric Mapping, Transportation Planning or Land Surveying Services or Related Services described in the RFP that failed to result in a Contract.