122 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–14 Edition) 

§ 17.35 

(k) The DRO or Special Master may 

decide the contract dispute on the 
basis of the administrative record and 
the submissions referenced in this sec-
tion, or may, in the DRO or Special 
Master’s discretion, direct the parties 
to make additional presentations in 
writing. The DRO or Special Master 
may conduct hearings, and may limit 
the hearings to the testimony of spe-
cific witnesses and/or presentations re-
garding 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. Evidentiary hearings on the 
record shall be conducted by the 
ODRA: 

(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 

contract dispute, 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 par-
ties’ written submissions. All witnesses 
at any such hearing shall be subject to 
cross-examination by the opposing 
party and to questioning by the DRO or 
Special Master. 

(l) The DRO or Special Master shall 

prepare findings and recommendations, 
which will contain findings of fact, ap-
plication of the principles of the AMS 
and other law or authority applicable 
to the findings of fact, and a rec-
ommendation for a final FAA order. 

(m) The DRO or Special Master shall 

conduct a de novo review using the pre-
ponderance of the evidence standard, 
unless a different standard is pre-
scribed for a particular issue. Notwith-
standing the above, allegations that 
government officials acted with bias or 
in bad faith must be established by 
clear and convincing evidence. 

(n) The Director of the ODRA may 

review the status of any contract dis-

pute in the Adjudicative Process with 
the DRO or Special Master. 

(o) A DRO or Special Master shall 

submit findings and recommendations 
to the Director of the ODRA or the Di-
rector’s designee. The findings and rec-
ommendations will be released to the 
parties and to the public, upon 
issuance of the final FAA order in the 
case. Should an ODRA protective order 
be issued in connection with the con-
tract dispute, or should the matter in-
volve proprietary or competition-sen-
sitive information, a redacted version 
of the findings and recommendations 
omitting any protected information, 
shall be prepared wherever possible and 
released to the public, as soon as is 
practicable, along with a copy of the 
final FAA order. Only persons admitted 
by the ODRA under the protective 
order and Government personnel shall 
be provided copies of the unredacted 
findings and recommendations. 

(p) Attorneys’ fees of a qualified pre-

vailing contractor are allowable to the 
extent permitted by the EAJA, 5 U.S.C. 
504(a)(1). 

See 14 CFR part 14. 

(q) Other than communications re-

garding purely procedural matters or 
ADR, there shall be no substantive 

ex 

parte  communication between ODRA 
personnel and any principal or rep-
resentative of a party concerning a 
pending or potentially pending matter. 
A potential or serving ADR neutral 
may communicate on an ex parte basis 
to establish or conduct the ADR. 

Subpart D—Alternative Dispute 

Resolution 

§ 17.35

Use of alternative dispute reso-

lution. 

(a) By statutory mandate, it is the 

policy of the FAA to use voluntary 
ADR to the maximum extent prac-
ticable to resolve matters pending at 
the ODRA. The ODRA therefore uses 
voluntary ADR as its primary means of 
resolving all factual, legal, and proce-
dural controversies. 

(b) The parties are encouraged to 

make a good faith effort to explore 
ADR possibilities in all cases and to 
employ ADR in every appropriate case. 
The ODRA uses ADR techniques such 
as mediation, neutral evaluation, bind-
ing arbitration or variations of these 

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