FAR 36.602-1—Selection criteria.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 36.602-1 sets out the selection criteria agencies must use when evaluating firms for architect-engineer (A-E) services and related design work under the Brooks Act framework. It covers the required qualifications-based factors: professional qualifications, specialized experience and technical competence, capacity to perform on time, past performance, geographic location and local knowledge, and any other appropriate evaluation criteria. It also addresses when agencies may use design competition, including the special approval requirement, the limited situations where it is appropriate, and the conditions that must exist before it is used. Finally, it requires discussions with at least three of the most highly qualified firms about concepts, alternative methods, and ways to incorporate recovered materials, waste reduction, and energy-efficiency in facility design. In practice, this section is important because it shapes how agencies shortlist and rank design firms, limits the role of price in the initial selection, and ensures the government considers technical merit, sustainability, and project-specific capability before negotiating a contract.
Key Rules
Evaluate required qualifications
Agencies must assess each potential contractor against the listed qualifications factors. These factors are mandatory and form the core of the selection process for A-E services.
Professional qualifications matter
Firms must have the professional credentials needed for satisfactory performance. This includes the expertise and staffing necessary to deliver the required services competently.
Experience and technical competence
Agencies must consider specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required. Where appropriate, this includes experience with energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, and recovered materials.
Capacity and past performance
Agencies must evaluate whether a firm can complete the work on time and how it has performed on prior Government and private-sector work. Past performance is judged in terms of cost control, quality, and schedule compliance.
Geographic and local knowledge
Location in the project area and knowledge of the locality may be considered, but only if doing so still leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms. The criterion cannot be applied so narrowly that it unduly restricts competition.
Other appropriate criteria
Agencies may use additional evaluation criteria if they are relevant to the project. Any extra criteria must be appropriate to the acquisition and consistent with the overall qualifications-based selection process.
Design competition is limited
Design competition may be used only when approved by the agency head or designee and when specific conditions are met. It is reserved for unique, high-visibility projects, enough time exists for conceptual design review, and the competition will substantially benefit the project.
Discuss concepts with top firms
Agencies must hold discussions with at least three of the most highly qualified firms about concepts, alternative methods, and practical ways to use recovered materials and achieve waste reduction and energy efficiency. This supports informed selection and better design outcomes.
Responsibilities
Agency
Establish and apply the required selection criteria when evaluating potential A-E contractors. Ensure the criteria are used consistently, that geographic considerations do not unduly limit the pool, and that any design competition is properly approved and justified.
Contracting Officer / Selection Authority
Evaluate firms based on the listed qualifications, identify the most highly qualified firms, and conduct discussions with at least three of them. Ensure the evaluation record supports the selection decision and that sustainability-related design considerations are addressed where relevant.
Agency Head or Designee
Approve the use of design competition before it is employed. Confirm that the project meets the special conditions for design competition and that the anticipated benefits justify the added cost and time.
Contractor / A-E Firm
Demonstrate professional qualifications, relevant experience, technical competence, capacity to perform on schedule, and strong past performance. If participating in discussions or design competition, present concepts and methods that address project requirements and applicable sustainability objectives.
Practical Implications
This section reinforces that A-E selection is qualifications-based, so firms should expect technical merit and past performance to drive shortlisting rather than price at the initial stage.
Geographic preference is allowed, but only within limits; agencies cannot use local knowledge or location as a hidden barrier that eliminates too many otherwise qualified firms.
Past performance must be meaningful and documented, especially on cost control, quality, and schedule compliance, so firms should maintain strong records and references.
Design competition is the exception, not the rule. Agencies need approval and a strong project-specific justification before using it, which helps prevent unnecessary competition costs and delays.
Sustainability considerations are not optional add-ons when relevant; agencies should be prepared to discuss energy efficiency, waste reduction, pollution prevention, and recovered materials during the selection process.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Agencies shall evaluate each potential contractor in terms of its- (1) Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services; (2) Specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required, including, where appropriate, experience in energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, and the use of recovered materials; (3) Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time; (4) Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules; (5) Location in the general geographical area of the project and knowledge of the locality of the project; provided, that application of this criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project; and (6) Acceptability under other appropriate evaluation criteria. (b) When the use of design competition is approved by the agency head or a designee, agencies may evaluate firms on the basis of their conceptual design of the project. Design competition may be used when- (1) Unique situations exist involving prestige projects, such as the design of memorials and structures of unusual national significance; (2) Sufficient time is available for the production and evaluation of conceptual designs; and (3) The design competition, with its costs, will substantially benefit the project. (c) Hold discussions with at least three of the most highly qualified firms regarding concepts, the relative utility of alternative methods and feasible ways to prescribe the use of recovered materials and achieve waste reduction and energy-efficiency in facility design (see part 23 ).