OPM: Reconsider USAJobs ruling

The Office of Personnel Management has asked the General Accounting Office to reconsider its decision upholding a protest filed against a contract award to enhance USAJobs.

OPM filed the "request for reconsideration" May 8, according to GAO. The agency would not say whether OPM is requesting that it reconsider the recommendations in the decision or the decision itself.

"This is an unresolved legal issue that prohibits OPM from commenting at this time," an OPM spokesman said.

In January, OPM awarded a contract potentially worth $62 million to TMP Worldwide Government Services Inc., now Monster Government Solutions. Improvements sought for the USAJobs site include an enhanced search engine so job seekers can search for a position in a variety of ways, a resume-building tool and online vacancy announcements that are shorter and easier to read.

GAO sustained the protest filed by losing bidder Symplicity Corp. because OPM did not adequately consider whether the services TMP identified in its quote were covered by its Federal Supply Schedule contract and because the agency did not reasonably evaluate quotes with regard to the vendor's proposed prices for systems integration. GAO recommended that OPM reopen discussions with vendors, re-evaluate revised quotations, ensure vendors' quotes only cover services that are included in their schedule contracts and further clarify its systems integration needs.

There is no time line for when GAO must or will make a decision on OPM's request.