Source Selection Methodologies Under the RFO FAR — One-Day Essentials

For decades, source selection generally came down to two choices: lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA), or a best-value tradeoff. The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO FAR) changed that — now, the best-value continuum holds four methods, and choosing the right one is one of the most consequential decisions of the acquisition.

This course is for the acquisition workforce members who plan, run, or support competitive source selections and want to understand the methods and use them well.

We start with the best-value continuum and the four source selection methods now available under the RFO FAR — lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA), tradeoff, highest technically rated with a fair and reasonable price, and phased acquisitions — what each one is, when each fits best, and how the choice shapes everything that follows. We cover evaluation factors and significant subfactors: what they are, what they must be based on, and how the requirement and the SOW or PWS feed the criteria you evaluate against. We cover the rule that anchors a defensible award — that proposals are evaluated solely against the criteria stated in the solicitation — and explore the rating methods available under each approach.

From there we cover the exchanges that happen during a competitive acquisition and the terms the RFO FAR uses for them. We also cover the competitive range: what it is, how it is established, and what it means for the offerors that land inside and outside of it. Throughout, we cover the public policy behind how the government approaches source selection, where the rules live in the RFO FAR so you can find them yourself, and how thorough documentation protects both the award and the organization.

This course is taught by Melinda Milheim, JD, who spent her federal career in the acquisition workforce. She served as a Contract Specialist, COR, and AOR for the U.S. Navy (and later a Contract Specialist for the Department of Health and Human Services / Indian Health Service), where she worked on more than $7.7 billion in federal contracts across RDT&E, engineering, medical, IT, construction, and major weapon-systems. She draws on that experience, along with her law degree and MBA studies, to teach the why behind the how — so participants leave with sharper judgment, not just a stack of slides. An award-winning DAU/WarU (DAWIA and FAI) instructor, she has taught more than 1,000 federal acquisition workforce students across 20-plus agencies.

Best for: contracting officers, contract specialists, CORs, source selection authorities, and the program and technical staff who serve on evaluation teams — anyone who plans, runs, or supports a competitive source selection and wants to choose and apply the right method with confidence.

Format: Available as a one-day course, delivered in person or virtually. Eligible federal acquisition workforce attendees earn 8 CLPs. A note on CLPs: This course earns continuous learning points (CLPs) that both defense (DAWIA) and civilian (FAC-C, FAC-COR, and FAC-P/PM) acquisition professionals can apply toward their continuous learning requirements. Because agencies set their own rules on what qualifies for CLP credit, check with your Acquisition Career Manager (ACM) or component training office to confirm how it applies to your plan.

You might also consider

• Best Value and the Tradeoff Decision — One-Day Essentials — a focused deep-dive into the most consequential judgment in source selection.

• Source Selection Under the RFO FAR (4-Day) — all four source selection courses together, start to finish.

• Protecting the Source Selection: Procurement Integrity and Safeguarding — One-Day Essentials — the integrity rules and safeguards every source selection depends on.

Pricing is set per engagement. Contact Phoenix Canyon to request a quote.