---
title: "1. Down Selection BAFO"
slug: "1-down-selection-bafo-1"
updated: 2026-10-29T17:05:25Z
published: 2026-10-29T17:05:25Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/1-down-selection-bafo-1"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 1. Down Selection BAFO

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**1. Down Selection BAFO**

*Module: Vendor/Client Gateway › Step 6: Down Selection › 1. Down Selection BAFO*

**Note:** Each procedure in this guide begins at the Contract Insight homepage, so any section can be followed on its own. Custom fields are configurable, so the exact field list on a contract category record may vary between environments.

# 1. Overview

The live down-selection mechanism is a Survey on the solicitation's **Ratings & Surveys** tab. An example survey named "Survey for Consolidating Respondent Bids" opens a **Survey Results** screen (Surveys > **Survey Results**) showing every respondent as its own column (BlueSky Innovations Ltd., Claus Inc., two Clover Industries entries, CobbleStone Image Store, CobbleStone Systems, and more) against each survey question as a row — the same side-by-side comparison the legacy Best and Final Offer (**BAFO**) down-selection process describes. A **Show scores** checkbox and a **Show questions as columns** toggle switch the results grid's orientation and add scoring, letting staff narrow respondents down using the same Survey & Response mechanism.

# 2. Key Elements

- **Ratings & Surveys** tab > Surveys section assigns comparison surveys to respondents; Review results opens the **Survey Results** screen
- **Survey Results** lists one column per respondent and one row per question, for direct side-by-side comparison of bids
- **Show scores** adds scoring to the comparison; **Show questions as columns** flips the grid's orientation
- "Survey for Consolidating Respondent Bids" is a live example survey built for exactly this down-selection purpose
- **Surveys** menu → **Survey Results** lists every survey attached to a record, with **View results** opening the same comparison screen

# 3. Navigating to a Solicitation's Surveys

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Sourcing** icon in the left navigation bar.
2. Select **Solicitations**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/01-sourcing-solicitations.png)

1. Locate the solicitation, using the **Search** box if needed, and click **Manage** on its row.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/02-solicitation-list.png)

1. Click the **Ratings & Surveys** tab. Use the arrows at either end of the tab bar if the tab is not visible.
2. In the **Surveys** section, review the surveys assigned to the solicitation. Each row shows its **Participants**, how many are **Complete**, the **Date Due** and the **Status**.
3. Click **+ Add survey** to assign a new comparison survey to the respondents, **Manage** to change an existing assignment, or **Review results** to open the Survey Results screen.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/03-ratings-surveys-tab.png)

# 4. Comparing Respondents in Survey Results

## 4a. Reviewing Responses Side by Side

1. On the **Ratings & Surveys** tab, click **Review results** next to the survey.
2. The Survey Results screen opens with one column per respondent and one row per question, grouped by survey section. A dash (–) means the respondent has not answered that question.
3. Read across a row to compare every respondent's answer to the same question.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/04-survey-results.png)

**Note:** The screenshots in this article use the **Software RFP** survey on the **Testing NJD** solicitation. The **Survey for Consolidating Respondent Bids** example described in the Overview is not present in the current test environment, but its results screen works the same way.

## 4b. Adding Scores and Changing the Layout

1. Tick **Show scores** to add each answer's score in parentheses next to the response.
2. Click **Show questions as columns** to flip the grid so each respondent is a row and each question is a column. The button then reads **Show respondents as columns**; click it to switch back.
3. Use the scored view to rank respondents and decide which ones move forward in the down-selection (BAFO) round. Scroll horizontally to see every question.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/05-scores-columns.png)

# 5. Opening Survey Results from the Surveys Menu

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, point to the **Surveys** icon in the left navigation bar and select **Survey Results**.
2. The list shows every survey attached to a record, with its **On record** link, **Due** date and **Responses** count. Use **Search** to find the solicitation or survey.
3. Click **View results** to open the same comparison screen described in Section 4.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/06-survey-results-list.png)