The Council on Federal Procurement of Architectural & Engineering Services (COFPAES), a nonprofit organization that works to preserve, protect, defend, and promote the qualifications based selection (“QBS”) process for the acquisition and engagement by contract of firms to provide architectural and engineering (including surveying and mapping) services. The QBS process is found in federal law in the “Brooks Act” (40 USC 1101 et. seq) and part 36.6 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, as well as most state laws, and the American Bar Association Model Procurement Code for State and Local Government. COFPAES is comprised of leading A&E and related services to professional societies and trade associations, as well as individual firms.
Formed in 1966, COFPAES worked with Congressman Jack Brooks to enact the Brooks Act in 1972. Since that time, COFPAES has led efforts to educate members of Congress, Federal agency officials, state and local government lawmakers and administrators, and the public of the advantages of QBS, as well as the drawbacks and harm resulting from price as an initial selection factor.
COFPAES is regularly engaged in continuing education for A&E professionals and their staff, as well as a government program and procurement officials, and helps keep practitioners aware of news, information, and developments in the field. The council also advocates for the utilization of QBS as an acquisition method, is engaged in public policy on a variety of issues related to A&E procurement, primarily, but not exclusively, at the Federal level, and monitors procurement activity to ensure proper compliance with QBS-related law, regulation, policy, and procedure.