§ 1706.7 - Procedures.

§ 1706.7 Procedures.

(a) Pre-award disclosure and resolution of OCIs. If a certificate under § 1706.6 indicates, or the Board otherwise learns, that actual or potential OCIs could be, or would appear to be, created by contract award to a particular offeror, the Board shall afford the affected offeror an opportunity to provide in writing all relevant facts bearing on the certificate. If the Board thereafter determines that an actual or potential OCI exists, one of the following actions shall ultimately be taken:

(1) Disqualify the offeror;

(2) Include in the contract appropriate terms and conditions which avoid the conflict, in which case no waiver is required; or

(3) Make a finding that it is in the best interests of the Government to seek award of the contract under the waiver provisions of § 1706.8, and, where reasonably possible, include contract terms and conditions or take other measures which mitigate such conflicts.

(b) Post-award disclosure and resolution of OCIs.

(1) If, after contract award, the contractor discovers actual or potential OCIs with respect to the contract, it shall make an immediate and full disclosure in writing to the contracting officer. This statement shall include a description of the action that the contractor has taken or proposes to avoid or mitigate such conflicts.

(2) If a disclosure under this section indicates, or the Board otherwise learns, that actual or potential OCIs exist, the Board may afford the contractor an opportunity to provide all relevant facts bearing upon the problem. If at any time the Board determines that an actual or potential OCI exists, one of the following actions shall ultimately be taken:

(i) Terminate the contract, or, in the case of a task order contract, terminate the particular task;

(ii) Insist on appropriate contract terms and conditions which avoid the OCIs, in which case no waiver is required; or

(iii) Make a finding that it is in the best interests of the Government to permit the contractor to continue to perform the contract (or task) under the waiver provisions of § 1706.8, and, where reasonably possible, insist on appropriate contract terms and conditions or take other measures which mitigate the OCIs.

(c) Task order contracts.

(1) Because a task order contract generally entails a broad scope of work, apparent successful offerors shall be required to identify in their certificates filed in accordance with § 1706.6 any actual or potential OCIs that come within the full scope of the contract. The Board may decline to award a task order contract to an offeror based upon such information or it may decline to approve performance of a particular task by the contractor if an actual or potential OCI is subsequently identified with respect to that particular task. The Board may also take the other actions identified in § 1706.7(a) to avoid or mitigate such conflicts.

(2) Contractors performing task order contracts for the Board shall disclose to the contracting officer any new work for others they propose to undertake that may present an actual or potential OCI with regard to the performance of any work under the full scope of the Board contract. Such disclosure shall be made at least 15 days prior to the submission of a bid or proposal for the new work. The disclosure shall include the statement of work and any other information necessary to describe fully the proposed work and contemplated relationship.

(3) If the Board has issued a task order or a letter request for proposal under the contract with a contractor who has disclosed to the contracting officer that it proposes to undertake new work for persons other than the Board as described in § 1706.7(c)(2), for services in the same technical area and/or at the same defense nuclear facility that is the subject of the proposed new work (including overlap based upon generic work performed for others by the contractor), the Board shall inform the contractor that entering into a contract for the new work may result in termination by the Board of the task order contract, if the Board determines that such work would give rise to an OCI and the Board does not grant a waiver.

(d) Decisions on OCIs. The contracting officer shall make recommendations to the General manager regarding disqualification or actions to be taken by the Board to avoid or mitigate any actual or potential OCI.

(1) The General Manager shall have the authority to approve, modify, or disapprove such recommendations regarding avoidance of an actual or potential OCI. If an offeror or contractor disagrees with the actions approved by the General Manager and requests review of the action, the Chairman shall make the decision on the actions to be taken by the Board.

(2) Any recommended action respecting the best interests of the Government and mitigation measures to be taken with respect to an actual or potential OCI must be approved by the Chairman in conjunction with the decision to grant a waiver pursuant to § 1706.8, and any recommended action to terminate a contract or a particular task on account of an actual or potential OCI must be approved by the Chairman.

(3) Decisions on OCIs by the General Manager or the Chairman shall be made with the advice of the Office of the General Counsel.

[57 FR 44652, Sept. 29, 1992; 58 FR 13684, Mar. 12, 1993]