42.402 Visits to contractors’ facilities
Source: FAR 42.402 on acquisition.gov
Advance coordination with the CAO is required for all government visits to contractor facilities to prevent duplicative oversight and ensure efficient contract administration.
Overview
FAR 42.402 outlines the procedures and requirements for government personnel planning to visit contractor facilities in connection with government contracts. The regulation aims to prevent duplicative reviews, audits, and investigations by ensuring coordination with the cognizant Contract Administration Office (CAO). It mandates advance notification to the CAO with specific details about the visit, including visitor information, purpose, and contract details. If the visit involves reviewing or obtaining contract administration information, the CAO must determine if the information is already available within the government to avoid unnecessary visits. Any agreements or outcomes from the visit that may impact the CAO must be communicated to them.
Key Rules
- Advance Notification to CAO
- Government personnel must notify the CAO in advance of any planned visit, providing detailed information about the visitors, purpose, and contract involved.
- Avoidance of Duplicative Efforts
- The CAO will assess if the requested information has already been reviewed or is available, and may discourage unnecessary visits.
- Reporting Visit Outcomes
- Visitors must inform the CAO of any agreements or results from the visit that could affect the CAO’s responsibilities.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers: Ensure all required information is provided to the CAO before visits and coordinate with the CAO regarding the necessity of the visit.
- Contractors: Cooperate with government visitors and the CAO during facility visits.
- Agencies: Oversee compliance with notification and coordination requirements to prevent redundant oversight activities.
Practical Implications
- This section exists to streamline contract administration and reduce redundant oversight, saving time and resources for both the government and contractors.
- Failure to coordinate with the CAO can result in duplicative audits or investigations, increased administrative burden, and potential compliance issues.
- Proper communication and documentation are essential to ensure efficient and effective contract oversight.
(a) Government personnel planning to visit a contractor’s facility in connection with one or more Government contracts shall provide the cognizant CAO with the following information, sufficiently in advance to permit the CAO to make necessary arrangements. Such notification is for the purpose of eliminating duplicative reviews, requests, investigations, and audits relating to the contract administration functions in subpart 42.3 delegated to CAO’s and shall, as a minimum, include the following (see also paragraph (b) of this section):
(1) Visitors’ names, official positions, and security clearances.
(2) Date and duration of visit.
(3) Name and address of contractor and personnel to be contacted.
(4) Contract number, program involved, and purpose of visit.
(5) If desired, visitors to a contractor’s plant may request that a representative of the CAO accompany them. In any event, the CAO has final authority to decide whether a representative shall accompany a visitor.
(b) If the visit will result in reviewing, auditing, or obtaining any information from the contractor relating to contract administration functions, the prospective visitor shall identify the information in sufficient detail so as to permit the CAO, after consultation with the contractor and the cognizant audit office, to determine whether such information, adequate to fulfill the requirement, has recently been reviewed by or is available within the Government. If so, the CAO will discourage the visit and refer the prospective visitor to the Government office where such information is located. Where the office is the CAO, such information will be immediately forwarded or otherwise made available to the requestor.
(c) Visitors shall fully inform the CAO of any agreements reached with the contractor or other results of the visit that may affect the CAO.