Summary

DECIDING WHETHER DIFFERENCE IN POINT SCORING IS SIGNIFICANT. OR WHETHER TECHNICAL PROPOSALS ARE ESSENTIALLY EQUAL INVOLVES EXERCISE OF JUDGMENT BY AGENCY. EVALUATION RECORD SUPPORTS AGENCY DETERMINATION THAT SPREAD OF SIX POINTS BETWEEN TOP TWO PROPOSALS IS NOT SIGNIFICANT AND THAT PROPOSALS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL. 2. WHERE TWO OFFERORS ARE CONSIDERED TECHNICALLY EQUAL AND DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN ACCEPTABLE OFFERORS' COST ESTIMATES IS SLIGHT PRUDENCE DICTATES THAT DETAILED COST ANALYIS BE MADE OF EACH PROPOSAL AND THAT A CONTEMPORANEOUS RECORD OF ANALYSIS BE MADE AND KEPT. 3. RECORD DOES NOT SHOW THAT MEANINGFUL COST ANALYSIS WAS MADE WHERE AGENCY DOES NOT EXPLAIN $2940 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OFFERORS' ESTIMATE OF SAME DIRECT COST ELEMENT BUT MAINTAINS THAT BOTH ESTIMATES ARE "DEEMED REASONABLE" AND THERE IS EVIDENCE OF QUESTIONABLE "NORMALIZATION" ANALYSIS OF ONE PROPOSAL.