7 CFR § 2500.023 - Selection of reviewers.

(a) Requirement. OAO is responsible for performing a review of proposals submitted to OAO competitive award programs. The RFP will identify the criteria that OAO will use for the selection of the proposal review panel.

(b) Confidentiality. The identities of reviewers will remain confidential to the maximum extent possible. Therefore, the names of reviewers will not be released to applicants. Names of applicants, as well as proposal content and evaluation comments will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law, except to those involved in the review process. Reviewers will comply with the above-mentioned confidentiality guidelines.

(c) Conflicts of interest. During the evaluation process, extreme care will be taken to prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may impact review or evaluation. Reviewers are expected to be in compliance with the Conflict-of-Interest process made a part of the RFP.