Contract Negotiation and Source Selection

Facilitates discussions between customers/partners and potential vendors to agree on contract terms and evaluates bids or proposals to make contract award decisions.

Key Behaviors
  • Understands customer/partner’s scientific and technical requirements.
  • Gathers information to make sound decisions.
  • Employs established processes and techniques (e.g., tradeoffs, lowest price technically acceptable) to make well informed source selection decisions.
  • Develops detailed Statements of Work that define the scope of the work to be performed throughout the contract process.
  • Works with customers/partners and vendors to craft mutually agreeable contract terms, conditions and price.
  • Documents source selection decisions and drafts contracts that include the agreed upon terms, conditions, special provisions and negotiated price.
  • Engages in other source selection activities where required (e.g., debriefing offers or, responding to protests).
  • Makes award decisions that meet the mission needs of the organization.
  • Guides customers/partners through the review, negotiation and evaluation of bids and proposals process.

Developmental opportunities for this competency are available from the NIH Training Center.