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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 36: Construction and Architect-engineer Contracts › Subpart 36.6

FAR 36.602-4 Selection authority.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This section says the final decision on which firms are most qualified for a project must be made by the agency head or a designated selection authority. The selection authority reviews the evaluation board's recommendations and produces a ranked list of the most highly qualified firms, and if it deviates from the board's top recommendation, it must document why in the contract file.

Applies to: Agency heads or designated selection authorities making final selections for architect-engineer contracts

What it requires

  • Review the recommendations of the evaluation board
  • Make the final selection as a listing, in order of preference, of the most highly qualified firms
  • If the most preferred firm is not the board's most highly qualified recommendation, provide a written explanation for the contract file
  • Not add firms to the selection report

Key terms: selection authority · evaluation board · final selection · contract file · selected firms

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

(a) The final selection decision shall be made by the agency head or a designated selection authority.

(b) The selection authority shall review the recommendations of the evaluation board and shall, with the advice of appropriate technical and staff representatives, make the final selection. This final selection shall be a listing, in order of preference, of the firms considered most highly qualified to perform the work. If the firm listed as the most preferred is not the firm recommended as the most highly qualified by the evaluation board, the selection authority shall provide for the contract file a written explanation of the reason for the preference. All firms on the final selection list are considered selected firms with which the contracting officer may negotiate in accordance with 36.606.

(c) The selection authority shall not add firms to the selection report. If the firms recommended in the report are not deemed to be qualified or the report is considered inadequate for any reason, the selection authority shall record the reasons and return the report through channels to the evaluation board for appropriate revision.

(d) The board shall be promptly informed of the final selection.

Sections it refers to

Sections that refer to it

  • 36.602-5 Short selection process for contracts not to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

← 36.602-3 Evaluation board functions. · 36.602-5 Short selection process for contracts not to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 36

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 36.602-4 Selection authority · SpendQuery