(a) Assignment of contract administration office functions is the process whereby identified functions, duties, or responsibilities related to the administration of contracts are assigned to a contract administration office (CAO) or an administrative contracting officer (ACO) within a contracting office.
(b) Usually, the CO 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 representative (COR or COTR) may not enter into or modify a contract or otherwise perform functions reserved for a contracting officer (except see 543.202). However, the authority to issue in-scope change orders not exceeding $25,000 may be delegated to a COTR assigned to construction contracts. See 543.202 and 501.603-2(d).
(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 the contracting officer must 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 shall provide or make available to the ACO a complete copy of the contract file and provide each COR and COTR with the contract file information needed to perform assigned duties.
(g) ACO functions other than those listed in FAR 42.302 may be delegated if the Senior Procurement Executive approves. Such requests must be submitted through the HCA. If approved, follow FAR 42.202(c).
