Contractor Past Performance Response (CPARS)

CONTRACTOR RESPONSE TO PAST PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

CONTRACTOR RESPONSE TO CPARS EVALUATION
Pursuant to FAR 42.15

CONTRACTOR INFORMATION

Contractor Name: [________________________________]

Address: [________________________________]

City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]

DUNS/UEI Number: [________________________________]

CAGE Code: [________________________________]

Telephone: [________________________________]

Email: [________________________________]

CPARS Point of Contact: [________________________________]

Title: [________________________________]

CONTRACT AND EVALUATION INFORMATION

Contract Number: [________________________________]

Task/Delivery Order Number (if applicable): [________________________________]

Contracting Agency: [________________________________]

Evaluation Period: [__/__/____] to [__/__/____]

Evaluation Type: ☐ Interim ☐ Final ☐ Addendum

Date Evaluation Received: [__/__/____]

Response Due Date: [__/__/____] (14 calendar days from notification)

Assessing Official Representative (AOR): [________________________________]

Contracting Officer Representative (COR): [________________________________]

I. EVALUATION SUMMARY

Ratings Received:

Overall Contractor Response:

☐ CONCUR - Contractor agrees with all ratings and narrative
☐ NON-CONCUR - Contractor disputes one or more ratings or narrative statements

II. CONTRACTOR'S RESPONSE TO EVALUATION NARRATIVE

A. Response to Quality Rating/Narrative

Government Narrative (summary):
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Contractor Response:

☐ Concur with rating and narrative
☐ Non-concur with the following:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Documentation:
☐ Inspection reports
☐ Quality metrics data
☐ Customer feedback
☐ Corrective action reports
☐ Other: [________________________________]

B. Response to Schedule Rating/Narrative

Government Narrative (summary):
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Contractor Response:

☐ Concur with rating and narrative
☐ Non-concur with the following:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Documentation:
☐ Delivery records
☐ Schedule performance data
☐ Evidence of excusable delays
☐ Approved schedule modifications
☐ Other: [________________________________]

C. Response to Cost Control Rating/Narrative (if applicable)

Government Narrative (summary):
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Contractor Response:

☐ Concur with rating and narrative
☐ Non-concur with the following:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Documentation:
☐ Cost reports
☐ Earned value data
☐ Budget vs. actual analysis
☐ Cost savings documentation
☐ Other: [________________________________]

D. Response to Management Rating/Narrative

Government Narrative (summary):
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Contractor Response:

☐ Concur with rating and narrative
☐ Non-concur with the following:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Documentation:
☐ Management plans
☐ Staffing records
☐ Communication logs
☐ Problem resolution documentation
☐ Other: [________________________________]

E. Response to Small Business Rating/Narrative (if applicable)

Government Narrative (summary):
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Contractor Response:

☐ Concur with rating and narrative
☐ Non-concur with the following:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Documentation:
☐ Subcontracting plan reports
☐ ISR/SSR reports
☐ Small business utilization data
☐ Other: [________________________________]

F. Response to Regulatory Compliance Rating/Narrative (if applicable)

Government Narrative (summary):
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Contractor Response:

☐ Concur with rating and narrative
☐ Non-concur with the following:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Documentation:
☐ Compliance certifications
☐ Audit reports
☐ Training records
☐ Other: [________________________________]

III. ADDITIONAL CONTRACTOR COMMENTS

A. Achievements and Accomplishments Not Mentioned:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

B. Context and Mitigating Circumstances:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

C. Government-Caused Issues Affecting Performance:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

D. Corrective Actions Implemented:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

IV. REQUEST FOR RATING MODIFICATION

The Contractor respectfully requests modification of the following rating(s):

V. REQUEST FOR NARRATIVE MODIFICATION

The Contractor requests the following modifications to the narrative:

Requested Deletion/Modification:

Current Text:
"[________________________________]"

Requested Change:
"[________________________________]"

Basis for Request:
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

VI. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INDEX

The following documents are attached in support of this response:

VII. CERTIFICATION

I certify that the information provided in this response is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. I understand that this response will become part of the permanent CPARS record.

Signature: [________________________________]

Printed Name: [________________________________]

Title: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

VIII. REQUEST FOR REVIEWING OFFICIAL REVIEW

(If Disputes Remain After AOR Review)

Part A: Request for Reviewing Official (RO) Review

Date of Request: [__/__/____]

The Contractor requests that the Reviewing Official review this evaluation because the Assessing Official did not adequately address the Contractor's concerns regarding:

☐ Quality rating/narrative
☐ Schedule rating/narrative
☐ Cost Control rating/narrative
☐ Management rating/narrative
☐ Small Business rating/narrative
☐ Regulatory Compliance rating/narrative
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Summary of Unresolved Issues:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Requested Resolution:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Part B: Reviewing Official Information

Reviewing Official Name: [________________________________]

Title: [________________________________]

Agency: [________________________________]

RATING DEFINITIONS (For Reference)

Quality

• Exceptional: Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds many to the Government's benefit. Strengths significantly outweigh any weaknesses.
• Very Good: Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds some to the Government's benefit. Strengths outweigh weaknesses.
• Satisfactory: Performance meets contractual requirements. Strengths and weaknesses are essentially equal.
• Marginal: Performance does not meet some contractual requirements. Weaknesses outweigh strengths.
• Unsatisfactory: Performance does not meet most contractual requirements and recovery is not likely. Weaknesses significantly outweigh strengths.

Schedule

• Exceptional: Delivered early or on-time with exceptional performance enhancing schedule.
• Very Good: Delivered on-time; any variances were minimal with no adverse effect.
• Satisfactory: Delivered on-time; any variances were minor with no adverse effect.
• Marginal: Delivered late or early but did not materially impact overall mission.
• Unsatisfactory: Delivery significantly late and impacted mission.

Cost Control (Cost-Type Contracts)

• Exceptional: Costs significantly under target with superior cost efficiency.
• Very Good: Costs under target with effective cost management.
• Satisfactory: Costs at or near target with adequate cost management.
• Marginal: Costs exceeded target; some cost control issues.
• Unsatisfactory: Costs significantly exceeded target; poor cost control.

IMPORTANT NOTES

Response Deadline

Contractors have 14 calendar days from notification to submit comments. Comments submitted after 14 days will still be included in the record but may not delay release for source selection use.

CPARS Process

1. AOR/Contractor Representative complete evaluation
2. Contractor notified and has 14 days to respond
3. If Contractor non-concurs, AOR reviews and may modify
4. If issues remain, Contractor may request RO review
5. RO makes final determination
6. Evaluation becomes available for source selection

Impact on Future Procurements

Past performance evaluations are used in source selection under FAR Part 15. Negative ratings can significantly impact a contractor's ability to win future work.

No Formal Appeal

There is no formal appeal process beyond the RO review. The agency's determination is final for purposes of CPARS.

Retention Period

CPARS evaluations are retained for 3 years after contract completion (6 years for A-E and construction contracts).

Contractor Comments Included

Contractor comments, including rebuttal statements, become part of the permanent evaluation record and are visible to future source selection officials.

BEST PRACTICES FOR RESPONSES

1. Be Professional: Avoid defensive or accusatory language
2. Be Specific: Reference specific contract requirements, dates, and documentation
3. Provide Evidence: Attach supporting documentation for all claims
4. Acknowledge Issues: If problems occurred, explain corrective actions taken
5. Focus on Facts: Avoid emotional arguments; stick to objective facts
6. Meet Deadlines: Submit response within 14 days
7. Request Higher Review: If AOR does not adequately address concerns, request RO review

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• FAR 42.15 - Contractor Performance Information
• FAR 42.1502 - Policy
• FAR 42.1503 - Procedures
• CPARS Policy Guide: https://www.cpars.gov
• CPARS User Manual
• 41 U.S.C. § 1712 - Past Performance Database