NSPE Files Lawsuit to Protect Qualifications-Based Selection ALEXANDRIA, Va. (April 28, 2006)— In an effort to safeguard qualifications-based selection (QBS) at the federal level, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) has filed a lawsuit against the United States. The lawsuit seeks to force federal agency compliance with the Brooks Act, as enacted by Congress in 1972 and amended in 1988. The Brooks Act requires federal agencies to use QBS procedures when procuring architectural, engineering, surveying, mapping and other services. However, federal agencies have repeatedly ignored the amended act, treating surveying and mapping services as outside the scope of the Brooks Act. “The lawsuit is about the integrity of the law and whether federal agencies can simply ignore the clearly expressed will of Congress,” says NSPE deputy executive director and general
