Contract Pricing Reference Guides

The Contract Pricing Reference Guides are a set of five reference volumes that were developed jointly by the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). The Guides are now maintained by the Office of the Deputy Director of Defense Procurement for Cost, Pricing, and Finance (DP/CPF). The Guides were developed to provide instruction and professional guidance for contracting personnel. They provide detailed discussion and examples applying pricing policies to pricing problems.

To improve the value of the Guides as a reference source, we have converted all five volumes to an HTML format that will enable easier and faster navigation to particular topics of interest within the five volumes.

The Guides are maintained with the assistance of pricing professionals from AFIT, all the Military Departments, and the civilian agencies. However, we also need your input to ensure we are meeting your needs and providing a useful source of pricing information. If you have comments or suggestions, just click on "feedback" which can be found on the navigation bar at the top and bottom of every page.

The following is a chapter listing for all five volumes of the Pricing Guides. You can go directly to the chapter you are interested in or you can view an expanded listing that shows chapter sections and subsections by clicking on the volume title.

Download the Guides
We have made the guides available for download. The ZIP compressed package includes all the HTML pages available on the website.

Volume 1 - Price Analysis

Introduction to Contract Pricing (PDF) Conduct Market Research for Price Analysis (PDF) Maximize Price Competition (PDF) Price-Related Data From Offerors (PDF) Developing Award Criteria for Pricing (PDF) Applying Price-Related Factors (PDF) Comparing Prices (PDF) Account for Differences (PDF) Price-Related Decisions in Sealed Bidding (PDF) Price-Related Decisions in Negotiations (PDF) Documenting Pricing Actions (PDF)

Volume 2 - Quantitative Techniques for Contract Pricing
Using Price Index Numbers (PDF) Using Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis (PDF) Using Statistical Analysis (PDF) Developing and Using Cost Estimating Relationships (PDF) Using Regression Analysis (PDF) Using Moving Averages (PDF) Using Improvement Curves (PDF) Using Work Measurement (PDF) Using Net Present Value Analysis (PDF)

Volume 3 - Cost Analysis

Defining Costs and Cost Analysis (PDF) Obtaining Offeror Information for Cost Analysis (PDF) Identifying Considerations Affecting Cost Allowability (PDF) Collecting Information to Support Cost Analysis (PDF) Defining and Evaluating Work Design for Contract Performance (PDF) Analyzing Direct Material Costs (PDF) Analyzing Direct Labor Costs (PDF) Analyzing Other Direct Costs (PDF) Analyzing Indirect Costs (PDF) Analyzing Facilities Capital Cost of Money (PDF) Analyzing Profit or Fee (PDF) Preparing for Negotiation (PDF)

Volume 4 - Advanced Issues in Contract Pricing
Establishing and Monitoring Contract Types (PDF) Evaluating Indirect Costs (PDF) Reviewing the Contractor's Pricing and Accounting Practices (PDF) Forecasting Cost Overruns (PDF) Recognizing and Adjusting for Defective Pricing (PDF) Pricing Equitable Adjustments and Settlements (PDF) Pricing Termination Settlements (PDF) Conducting Cost Realism Analyses (PDF) Performing Financial Analyses (PDF)

Volume 5 - Federal Contract Negotiation Techniques
Introduction to Negotiations (PDF) Exchanges Prior to Negotiations (PDF) Negotiation Preparation (PDF) Noncompetitive Negotiations (PDF) Nonverbal Communication (PDF) Bargaining Techniques (PDF) Bargaining Tactics (PDF) Conducting Discussions (PDF)