(a) If information concerning prospective contractors is necessary to identify and evaluate potential organizational conflicts of interest or to develop recommended actions, contracting officers first should seek the information from within the Government or from other readily available sources. Government sources include the files and the knowledge of personnel within the contracting office, other contracting offices, the cognizant contract administration and audit activities and offices concerned with contract financing. Non-Government sources include publications and commercial services, such as credit rating services, trade and financial journals, and business directories and registers.
(b) If the contracting officer decides that a particular acquisition involves a significant potential organizational conflict of interest, the contracting officer shall, before issuing the solicitation, submit for approval to the chief of the contracting office (unless a higher level official is designated by the agency) -
(1) A written analysis, including a recommended course of action for avoiding, neutralizing, or mitigating the conflict, based on the general rules in 9.505 or on another basis not expressly stated in that section;
(2) A draft solicitation provision (see 9.507-1); and
(3) If appropriate, a proposed contract clause (see 9.507-2).
(c) The approving official shall -
(1) Review the contracting officer’s analysis and recommended course of action, including the draft provision and any proposed clause;
(2) Consider the benefits and detriments to the Government and prospective contractors; and
(3) Approve, modify, or reject the recommendations in writing.
(d) The contracting officer shall -
(1) Include the approved provision(s) and any approved clause(s) in the solicitation or the contract, or both;
(2) Consider additional information provided by prospective contractors in response to the solicitation or during negotiations; and
(3) Before awarding the contract, resolve the conflict or the potential conflict in a manner consistent with the approval or other direction by the head of the contracting activity.
(e) If, during the effective period of any restriction (see 9.507), a contracting office transfers acquisition responsibility for the item or system involved, it shall notify the successor contracting office of the restriction, and send a copy of the contract under which the restriction was imposed.
