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Section 809 Panel Releases Volume 3 Report and Recommendations

Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.16.19

On January 15, the Section 809 Panel released the final installment of its three-volume report, this time including recommendations on, among other topics, bid protests, contractor accounting systems, and government-industry interactions. (The panel released Volume 1 in January 2018 and Volume 2 in June 2018).

The Volume 3 recommendations, if implemented, could have far-reaching effects. For example, the panel recommends eliminating certain bid protests, such as second bite at the apple Court of Federal Claims protests after earlier GAO protests; adopting a “professional practice guide” for DoD and those supporting DoD in its contract audits; and encouraging greater government “interaction with industry during market research.”

Keep an eye on our blog and podcasts in the coming weeks, as we will be providing further detailed analysis of the panel’s various recommendations.

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The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent decision in Viderity Inc.—Costs, B-424422.5, Sept. 1, 2026, offers useful insight into what constitutes a legally sufficient conflict of interest investigation. The decision arose in an unusual procedural posture: Viderity initially protested, alleging that an agency evaluator had a personal conflict of interest. After the agency took corrective action, Viderity filed a cost entitlement claim requesting that GAO direct the agency to reimburse Viderity’s protest costs. In evaluating that claim, GAO assessed whether Viderity’s underlying protest ground was “clearly meritorious.”...

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