Oral presentations by offerors, as requested by the government, may substitute for or augment written information 1. Pre-recorded videotaped presentations that lack real-time interactive dialogue are not considered oral presentations under FAR 15.102 2.
Areas such as an offeror's capability, past performance, work plans or approaches, staffing resources, transition plans or sample tasks may be suitable for oral presentations 3.
When oral presentations are required, the solicitation shall provide offerors with sufficient information to prepare them 4. FAR 15.102 lists what that can include: the types of information to be presented orally and the associated evaluation factors that will be used 5, the qualifications for personnel that will be required to present 6, and the restrictions governing the time permitted for each presentation 7.
Rehearse to the factors
Worked example. A solicitation asks Contractor J for a 60-minute presentation on technical approach and transition, followed by a sample task, and requires the proposed program manager to present. The program manager runs three timed rehearsals; by the last one the slides follow the two factors in order and leave ten minutes for questions.
What is recorded, and what must be in writing
The contracting officer shall maintain a record of oral presentations to document what the government relied upon in making the source selection decision 8. When an oral presentation includes information the parties intend to include in the contract as material terms or conditions, that information shall be put in writing, because incorporation by reference of oral statements is not permitted 9.
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