OMB should clarify A-76 rules

The Professional Services Council asked the Office of Management and Budget to clarify which agency personnel have authority to contest an award under a standard public-private competition under Circular A-76.

The circular does not define how the "appointed representative" of the federal work force will be chosen to protest an award to a private-sector bidder, PSC President Stan Soloway said in a letter to OMB.

"An accountable and transparent means by which the affected workforce selects one individual as its representative is essential to ensure the integrity of the A-76 process," Soloway said. PSC, an Arlington, Va.-based trade group, represents professional services firms. Soloway co-authors Washington Technology's "Buy Lines" column.