Verizon continues to push against DISA's LPTA stance

Verizon’s challenge of the Defense Information Systems Agency insistence to use a lowest-price evaluation scenario for an Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions task order continues to wind through the Government Accountability Office.

We’ve reported on this protest a couple times. Verizon filed, then DISA took a corrective action. After that, Verizon filed a protest again because DISA still wants to use a lowest price, technically acceptable evaluation criteria.

Verizon’s argument is that it’s improper to use LPTA for this instance. A string of National Defense Authorization Acts prohibited LPTA except for very limited cases.

But DISA has stuck to it, so Verizon is now on its third round of protests after two corrective actions by DISA.

The current protest is slated to be resolved by July 13. Verizon this week filed a supplemental protest, which is likely in response a DISA filing its response to the protest.

I’m glad Verizon is sticking to its anti-LPTA stance. LPTA is a slippery slope and one we need to be wary of.

Quick aside: I wonder if LPTA will make a resurgence in the coming years as we try to pay for the COVID-19 stimulus.

In the meantime, I have to wonder what is going on with DISA and this insistence on using LPTA. MetTel has filed a protest involving two other DISA EIS task orders that company argues are being competed as LPTA.

I hope both of these go to a full GAO decision because I want to understand DISA’s position, and I want to see if GAO signs off on it. Historically, they give a lot of discretion to agencies. Maybe DISA is banking on that.