117 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 17.21 

all cases, the Product Team shall indi-
cate the method of service used. 

(e) Comments of the protester and 

the intervenor on the Product Team re-
sponse will be due to be filed and 
served five (5) business days after their 
receipt of the response. Copies of such 
comments shall be provided to the 
other participating parties by the same 
means and on the same date as they 
are furnished to the ODRA. Comments 
may include any supplemental relevant 
documents. 

(f) The ODRA may alter the schedule 

for filing of the Product Team response 
and the comments for good cause or to 
accommodate the circumstances of a 
particular protest. 

(g) The DRO or Special Master may 

convene the parties and/or their rep-
resentatives, as needed for the Adju-
dicative Process. 

(h) If, in the sole judgment of the 

DRO or Special Master, the parties 
have presented written material suffi-
cient to allow the protest to be decided 
on the record presented, the DRO or 
Special Master shall have the discre-
tion to decide the protest on that basis. 

(i) The parties may engage in lim-

ited, focused discovery with one an-
other and, if justified, with non-par-
ties, so as to obtain information rel-
evant to the allegations of the protest. 

(1) The DRO or Special Master shall 

manage the discovery process, includ-
ing limiting its length and availability, 
and shall establish schedules and dead-
lines for discovery, which are con-
sistent with timeframes established in 
this part and with the FAA policy of 
providing fair and expeditious dispute 
resolution. 

(2) The DRO or Special Master may 

also direct the parties to exchange, in 
an expedited manner, relevant, non- 
privileged documents. 

(3) Where justified, the DRO or Spe-

cial Master may direct the taking of 
deposition testimony, however, the 
FAA dispute resolution process does 
not contemplate extensive discovery. 

(4) The use of interrogatories and re-

quests for admission is not permitted 
in ODRA bid protests. 

(5) Where parties cannot voluntarily 

reach agreement on a discovery-related 
issue, they may timely seek assistance 
from an ODRA ADR neutral or may file 

an appropriate motion with the ODRA. 
Parties may request a subpoena. 

(6) Discovery requests and responses 

are not part of the record and will not 
be filed with the ODRA, except in con-
nection with a motion or other permis-
sible filing. 

(7) Unless timely objection is made, 

documents properly filed with the 
ODRA will be deemed admitted into 
the administrative record. 

(j) Hearings are not typically held in 

bid protests. The DRO or Special Mas-
ter may conduct hearings, and may 
limit the hearings to the testimony of 
specific witnesses and/or presentations 
regarding specific issues. The DRO or 
Special Master shall control the nature 
and conduct of all hearings, including 
the sequence and extent of any testi-
mony. Hearings will be conducted: 

(1) Where the DRO or Special Master 

determines that there are complex fac-
tual issues in dispute that cannot ade-
quately or efficiently be developed 
solely by means of written presen-
tations and/or that resolution of the 
controversy will be dependent on his/ 
her assessment of the credibility of 
statements provided by individuals 
with first-hand knowledge of the facts; 
or 

(2) Upon request of any party to the 

protest, unless the DRO or Special 
Master finds specifically that a hearing 
is unnecessary and that no party will 
be prejudiced by limiting the record in 
the adjudication to the parties’ written 
submissions. All witnesses at any such 
hearing shall be subject to cross-exam-
ination by the opposing party and to 
questioning by the DRO or Special 
Master. 

(k) The Director of the ODRA may 

review the status of any protest in the 
Adjudicative Process with the DRO or 
Special Master. 

(l) After the closing of the adminis-

trative record, the DRO or Special 
Master will prepare and submit find-
ings and recommendations to the 
ODRA that shall contain the following: 

(1) Findings of fact; 
(2) Application of the principles of 

the AMS, and any applicable law or au-
thority to the findings of fact; 

(3) A recommendation for a final 

FAA order; and 

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