(a) Assignment of contract administration is the process whereby identified functions, duties, or responsibilities related to the administration of contracts are assigned to either a contract administration office (CAO) or an administrative contracting officer (ACO) within a contracting office.
(b) Each contracting director must establish procedures that ensure that qualified personnel perform contract administration activities in an effective manner. Usually, the PCO or the ACO in the contracting office performs these activities (but see paragraphs (c)-(g) of this section).
(c) If it is more efficient, management may establish a separate CAO. Consider each of the following:
(1) The nature and complexity of the contract.
(2) The need to perform contract administration at or near the contractor’s facility or the place of performance.
(3) The availability of resources.
(d) The contracting officer may designate one or more representatives to perform specified functions such as quality assurance, production, price analysis, finance and various engineering and technical specialties. The contracting officer’s representatives (CORs) may not enter into or modify a contract or otherwise perform functions reserved for a contracting officer (except see 543.202 for construction contracts).
(e) If the contracting officer delegates contract administration to an ACO or designates a contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR) or contracting officer’s representative (COR), then provide the contractor with the name of the ACO and any representative and identify the functions each is authorized to perform.
(f) The contracting officer may provide or make available to the ACO a complete copy of the contract file. The contracting officer may provide each COR and COTR with the contract file information they need to perform their duties
(g) The contracting officer may delegate to an ACO functions other than those listed in FAR 42.302 and 542.302(b) after obtaining approval from the Senior Procurement Executive. The contracting officer may submit requests through the HCA. If approved, the contracting officer should follow FAR 42.202(c).
