8. Definitions.
8.1 "Deficiency" is a material failure of a proposal to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in a proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level (FAR 15.001).
8.2. "Evaluation notices (ENs)" are written exchanges with offerors for purposes of clarifications, communications, or discussions. IG 8.1
8.3. "Mission capability" is comprised of the Mission Capability Technical Rating which expresses evaluation criteria that address technical, performance, or capability requirements and Mission Capability Risk Rating (MCRR). The MCRR assesses the degree to which an offeror's proposed approach to achieving the Mission Capability Technical Rating Factor or Subfactor may involve risk of disruption of schedule, increased cost or degradation of performance, the need for increased government oversight, and the likelihood of unsuccessful contract performance.
8.4. "Performance confidence assessment" is an evaluation of the likelihood (or government's confidence) that the offeror will successfully complete the solicitation's requirements; the evaluation is based upon past performance.
8.5. "Performance Confidence Assessment Group (PCAG)" is a group of experienced government personnel assigned to accomplish the Performance Confidence Assessment.
8.6. "Proposal Analysis Report (PAR)" is a report that fully documents the results of the evaluation of each proposal and the comparative analysis of all proposals within the competitive range.
8.7. "Requirements documents" are all aspects of the Request for Proposal that convey the needs of the government to offerors, including Statements of Objectives (SOO), Statements of Work (SOW), Performance Work Statements (PWS), Technical Requirement Documents (TRD) and System Requirement Documents (SRD).
8.8. "Requiring office" is the entity (for example, a program management office or other organizational entity) responsible for translating user requirements into the requirements documents within the Request for Proposal that communicate those requirements to offerors.
8.9. "Simplified Source Selection Report" is a report in simplified format that documents the acquisition approach, Source Selection Plan, description of the services or supplies acquired, evaluation results, comparative analysis of offerors, and the Source Selection Decision Document.
8.10. "Source Selection Advisory Council (SSAC)" is a group of senior personnel who provide counsel during the source selection process and may prepare the comparative analysis of the Source Selection Evaluation Team's evaluation results, when directed by the Source Selection Authority.
8.11. "Source Selection Authority (SSA)" is the official designated to make the source selection decision.
8.12. "Source Selection Decision Document (SSDD)" is the document that reflects the Source Selection Authority's integrated assessment and selection decision.
8.13. "Source Selection Evaluation Team (SSET)" is the group of government and, if needed, approved non-government personnel, representing the various functional disciplines relevant to the acquisition. The Source Selection Evaluation Team evaluates proposals and reports its findings to the Source Selection Advisory Council (if used) and the Source Selection Authority.
8.14. "Source Selection Plan (SSP)" is a plan that describes how the source selection will be organized, how proposals will be evaluated and analyzed, and how source(s) will be selected.
8.15. "Strength" is a significant aspect of an offeror's proposal that has merit and exceeds specified performance or capability requirements in a way that is advantageous to the government, and either will be included in the contract or is inherent in the offeror's process.
8.16. "Uncertainty" is a doubt regarding whether an aspect of the proposal meets a material performance or capability requirement. It requires additional information from the offeror to further explain the proposal before the evaluator can complete his/her review and analysis and should generate the issuance of an EN. IG 8.16
8.17 "Weakness" means a flaw in the proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance. A "significant weakness" in the proposal is a flaw that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance (FAR 15.001).