FAIR Challenges and Appeals Process

An interested party may submit to an executive agency an initial challenge to the inclusion or exclusion of an activity within 30 working days after publication of OMB's Federal Register notice stating that the inventory is available. The challenge must set forth the activity being challenged with as much specificity as possible, and the reasons for the interested party's belief that the particular activity should be reclassified as inherently Governmental (and therefore be deleted from the inventory) or as commercial (and therefore be added to the inventory) in accordance with OFPP Policy Letter 92-1 on inherently Governmental functions (see Appendix 5) or as established by precedent (such as when other agencies have contracted for the activity or undergone competitions for this or similar activities).

The agency head may delegate the responsibility to designate the appropriate official(s) to receive and decide the initial challenges. As mandated by the FAIR Act, the deciding official must decide the initial challenge and transmit to the interested party a written notification of the decision within 28 working days of receiving the challenge. The notification must include a discussion of the rationale for the decision and, if the decision is adverse, an explanation of the party's right to file an appeal.

An interested party may appeal an adverse decision to an initial challenge within 10 working days after receiving the written notification of the decision Within 10 working days of receipt of the appeal, the official must decide the appeal and transmit to the interested party a written notification of the decision together with a discussion of the rationale for the decision. The agency must also transmit to OMB and the Congress a copy of any changes to the inventory that result from this process, make the changes available to the public and publish a notice of public availability in the Federal Register.