Acquisition Actions
There are several important acquisition actions that occur parallel to the A-76
process, which is why the Contracting Officer plays a critical role in the successful
completion of an OMB A-76 cost comparison. This is an acquisition that must merge
the FAR requirements with the OMB and DoD rules for the A-76 Commercial Activity
program. In addition to assisting in the development of the PWS and QASP, preparing
and issuing the solicitation, and conducting negotiations prior to the cost comparison,
the Contracting Officer is responsible for preparing and/or issuing a Commerce Business
Daily (CBD) notice, market survey, and Independent Government Estimate (IGE), as
well as facilitating the source selection process, and monitoring the performance
of the selected service provider (also known as quality assurance) after implementation.
What is market research?
FAR Part 10 requires the Government to conduct market research (MR) to determine
if commercial services/standards exist that would satisfy the needs of the using
activity. If the services/standards are not exactly what the user needs, then either
the Government or commercial requirement may be modified to meet the user's needs.
If there is a commercially available service/standard, the Contracting Officer may
accomplish the acquisition IAW FAR Part 12, an easier and more streamlined acquisition
process. MR should be a team effort accomplished by both functional and contracting
specialists. The functional personnel should develop a brief description of their
requirement for the functional and contracting personnel to use in conducting the
MR – also known as a market survey.
What is the Independent Government Estimate (IGE)?
The IGE is the Source Selection Authority's (SSA's) projected cost of acquiring
the services. The IGE is developed using many techniques, such as engineering estimates
parametric techniques. A good IGE establishes what the services that are being purchased
should cost the government. This estimate assists the SSA in the SSA's selection
and affordability decision. It is normally the responsibility of the organization
that established the acquisition requirement to develop the IGE.
What is the difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QA)?
QA and QC are frequently confused and mistakenly used interchangeably. They refer
to distinctly different actions performed by different organizations. QA involves
those actions taken by the government to inspect goods or services to determine
whether they meet the requirements of the PWS. QA is performed by the Government’s
QAEs. QC, on the other hand, refers to those actions taken by a contractor or the
MEO to control their production of goods or services so that they will meet the
requirements of the PWS. QC is performed by the contractor’s management team or
by the supervisors in the MEO. A simpler way to view it is the performing activity
(MEO or contract/ISSA) is responsible for QC (inspection at the time of performance.)
The receiving activity is responsible for QA (inspection of the delivered product
and/or service.) The Acceptance and Inspection clause in the award allows the Government
to implement quality assurance procedures.
Resources:
Guides and Recommended Readings