In most federal competitions, past performance is one of the evaluation factors, and the government’s primary source for it is CPARS, the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System. If you have held a federal contract above the reporting threshold, there is almost certainly a rating in there with your name on it. Understanding how it gets written is one of the most practical things a contractor can do.
Who writes it
The contracting officer’s representative or program manager drafts the assessment, usually at the end of each contract year and at completion. The contracting officer reviews and signs it. The assessment rates areas such as quality, schedule, cost control, management and small business utilization, on a five-level scale from Exceptional to Unsatisfactory, with a narrative explaining each rating.
The contractor’s turn
Once the assessment is drafted, the contractor receives a notice and has a comment period, currently fourteen calendar days, to review it and respond. This is the most important window in the whole process. You can concur, or you can add comments that will be attached to the record and seen by future evaluators. If you disagree with a rating, you can request a review by a reviewing official one level above the contracting officer.
What makes a strong response
Facts, not frustration. If the rating is fair, a brief concurrence and a thank-you is appropriate. If it is not, lay out specifically what happened, with dates and documents, and ask for the specific change you want. Evaluators reading your comments in a future competition are judging your professionalism as much as your argument.
Before the rating is ever written
The best CPARS strategy starts on day one of the contract. Regular communication with the COR. Documented resolution of problems. Deliverables on time or with an agreed revised date in writing. A contractor who surprises the government rarely gets an Exceptional, no matter how good the work was.
Reading your own record
Contractors can view their own assessments in CPARS at any time. Review them annually, and know what a competitor’s evaluator will see when they pull your file. Beacon Federal Partners helps clients prepare for assessments, respond to them, and build the performance record that wins the next contract.