Chapter 4
The Acquisition Team and Process
The acquisition team consists of all participants in the acquisition process: requiring unit, contractor, finance, contracting officer, legal counsel, contracting officer's representative (COR), resource manager, quality assurance representative, and others, as applicable. No one person has all the necessary skills for successful contract management. It requires a team with each member having specialized expertise and responsibilities. This chapter identifies and defines the roles of the acquisition team members and the importance of team cohesion and cooperation to ensure the successful delivery of required supplies and services. Successful acquisition teams typically assign specific duties, develop performance measures and milestones, and hold team members individually and collectively accountable. Everyone ensures the team has the target in sight—it is a team effort. Figure 2 illustrates the acquisition team functions involved in the successful completion of the acquisition process.
Figure 2. Acquisition Team Functions (above)
The Acquisition Team
Contracting Officer
The contracting officer is the only individual expressly authorized to enter into, administer, change, and terminate contracts. Contracting officers are responsible for ensuring that all contract actions comply with appropriate laws, executive orders, regulations and other applicable procedures, and approvals. Appointed or designated through a warrant with dollar limitations, contracting officers may bind the government only to the extent of the authority delegated to them. The contracting officer is the only person authorized to appoint or designate CORs.
Depending on the nature of the effort and agency procedures, a contract may require three different types of contracting officers.
- The procuring contracting officer, who handles all planning and contract actions up to and including award of a contract.
- The administrative contracting officer, who assumes responsibility for administering the day-to-day contractual activities after award has been made.
- The termination contracting officer, who is responsible for negotiating any termination settlements with the contractor.
Sometimes all three responsibilities reside in one person.
A contract specialist may also be assigned to assist with contract issuance and administration; however, he or she does not hold the same authority as a contracting officer.
Requiring Activity
The requiring activity is the entity that has a requirement for supplies or services and requests the initiation of the acquisition. CORs routinely interface between the requiring activity (which is most likely the COR's own unit), the contractor, and the supported unit.
Legal Counsel
The legal counsel provides legal advice to the acquisition team and reviews acquisition documents for legal sufficiency.
COR
The COR is nominated by the commander of the requiring unit and is appointed or designated, in writing, by the contracting officer. The COR, who should have technical expertise related to the requirement, monitors the technical or performance aspects of the contract and performs other duties specified by the appointment letter. Ideally, the COR participates in pre-award activities (such as defining the requirement) so he or she is familiar with all aspects of the contract. The COR acts as the eyes and ears of the contracting officer. Appendix 3 provides additional information on COR qualifications and training.
Note: In a major continental United States contingency operation involving Title 10 forces, the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency will request assistance through US Northern Command, which will designate an executive agent. The contracting office for the executive agent will determine the number of CORs needed for each contract based on the requirement.
Resource Manager
The resource manager advises and guides the commander and is responsible for developing command resource requirements, identifying sources of funding, determining costs, acquiring funds, distributing and controlling funds, and tracking costs and obligations.
Quality Assurance Representative
When a contract has been delegated to the Defense Contract Management Agency to administer, the COR will work closely with the quality assurance representative (QAR). The QAR ensures the contractor is in compliance with contractual requirements, evaluates and documents contractor performance, follows up with the contractor on documented deficiencies, and provides input for the Performance Evaluation Board through the administrative contracting officer. QARs also train CORs, review COR audits prior to submittal, verify actionable discrepancies, issue contract authorization requests where warranted, and evaluate and document COR performance.
Framework for Team Success
A successful contract often depends on a successful acquisition team. The key framework for a successful acquisition team includes the following:
- Partnership
- Informed decisions
- Sound planning
- Efficient execution
Note: The majority of the time, a COR can solve a potential performance problem before it becomes a contractual issue. The COR should know all of the acquisition team members' names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. Appendix 9 offers a template for recording acquisition team points of contact.
The Acquisition Process
Figure 3 depicts a generalized acquisition process as it relates to the responsibility of each member on the acquisition team. (For example, items in red boxes are the responsibility of the requiring unit, or the commander's unit).
The acquisition process begins with acquisition planning (requirements definition and funding); proceeds to solicitation, source selection, and award; and then proceeds to contract administration, which results in performance or deliveries. Upon COR acceptance of the supply or service, the acquisition process concludes with invoicing, payment, and closeout.
The COR's primary roles occur during the contract administration segment of the acquisition process. It is here that the COR monitors the contractor's performance, ensures quality, documents performance, supports the contracting officer with any options or modifications, and assists the contracting officer with contract closeout.
Figure 3. Acquisition Process by Activity (above)1
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Notes
- The acquisition review board (ARB) normally occurs at or above the requiring activity. Top
Chapter Acronyms
COR – Contracting Officer's Representative
QAR – Quality Assurance Representative
US – United States
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