CPARS is a web-enabled program used by government officials to assess contractor quality reporting. It records were forwarded to the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), the government’s sole source of past contractor performance.
When a government official looks at PPIRS ratings and reviews, they look for companies that are capable of meeting contract specifications. This is also an essential factor in making the best value choices in the purchase of goods or services. The willingness of the contractor to show good past performance helps build trust in the government official’s mind.
The Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System
The past performance of the contractor is the essential evaluation factor for the origin selection assessment of all contracts that surpass the simplified acquisition threshold. It was known as a federal government-wide program for collecting information from government contractors. CPARS helps track contractor quality and supports government agencies that pick awardees in their origin choice evaluations.
The Importance of Past Performance Ratings
Past performance data is crucial to the success of contractors, and the contractor’s final report card is CPARS. Not only does this affect the current work and any potential opportunities, but it also affects all future awards. In view of such high stakes, the regulatory requirements set out in FAR Subpart 42.15 are profoundly explicit. They require government officials to assess the performance of contractors equally and objectively.
The assessment should include specific relevant information that accurately depicts the performance of the contractor. It should be based on objective evidence backed by project or contract or order performance data.” FAR 42.1503(b)(1).
Challenging a CPARS Evaluation Rating
It is the responsibility of the contractor to contest unfavorable ratings. The FAR requires the contractor to submit comments to the process. The client shall have 60 days to submit comments. The rebuttal comments help in the evaluation of source selection decision-making staff.
Moreover, if the contractor submit its observations in 15 days of the date specified, the contractor’s comments shall be submitted with the initial assessment. The Review Officer (RO) shall, at the rate above the Contracting Officer, make a determination on all disputes.
Hence, if the assessment rating is in dispute after the review of the RO, the contractor can submit a formal complaint. The complain will come under FAR 33.2 to the contracting authority.The CO will review and issue a final decision.
If the CPAR assessment is still in question following its comments and the judgment of the contracting authority, the contractor may make an appeal against unequal or incorrect ratings.
Furthermore, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has held that the Boards of Contract Appeals and the Federal Court of Appeals have authority over CPARS disputes.
Boards of Contract Appeals have the authority to make a determination and to refer the matter back to the Agency with the course it may deem appropriate and fair.A further appeal is open to the U.S. Court of Appeals. The credibility and past performance of the contractor are the lifeblood of the company, so questioning unfair or incorrect CPARS ratings is a key concern for future business.
This blog was written by Linda Rawson, who is the founder of DynaGrace Enterprises (dynagrace.com) and the inventor of WeatherEgg (weatheregg.com). She, along with her daughter, Jennifer Remund make up the mother-daughter duo of 2BizChicks (2Bizchicks.com). For further information, please connect with Linda on LinkedIn, or contact her at (800) 676-0058 ext 101.
Please reach out to us at GovCon-Biz should you have any questions.
