Management criteria are used in source selection to evaluate the offeror's business and organizational capabilities. This includes assessing their management plan, organizational structure, financial stability, corporate experience, and key personnel qualifications. These criteria focus on the offeror as a corporate entity and its ability to successfully perform and manage the contract, which is distinct from the technical merits of its proposed solution. Evaluating the "sources themselves, as entities" directly corresponds to the purpose of management criteria.

A. Decision making criteria: This term is too general; all evaluation factors (technical, management, cost) are used for decision-making and this is not a specific category.

B. Attributed criteria: This is not a standard term used in source selection or contract management to describe a category of evaluation factors.

D. Technical criteria: This category evaluates the specifics of the proposed goods, services, or solution, not the business or organizational capabilities of the offeror as an entity.

1. National Contract Management Association (NCMA). (2019). Contract Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK) (6th ed.). Section 2.2.3, "Establish Evaluation Criteria." This section outlines the development of evaluation criteria, which are typically grouped into factors such as technical, management, past performance, and cost/price. The management factor specifically assesses the offeror's capabilities to manage the contract work.

2. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Subpart 15.304, "Evaluation factors and significant subfactors." This regulation, which forms a basis for many contracting principles, states that evaluation factors may include management capability, personnel qualifications, and prior experience, all of which relate to the offeror as an entity rather than just its technical proposal.

3. Garrett, G. A. (2006). World-Class Contracting (4th ed.). CCH Incorporated. Chapter 10, "Source Selection," discusses the establishment of evaluation plans and criteria, distinguishing between technical/quality factors and management capability factors, with the latter focusing on the offeror's ability to manage the project.