Kathleen A. Barton

Kathleen A. Barton serves as a Contracting Officer responsible for managing complex acquisitions across a diverse range of technical and manufacturing domains. In her role, she ensures compliance with federal procurement regulations while advancing agency mission objectives through strategic sourcing, competitive bidding, and contract administration. Her portfolio primarily encompasses research and development services, specialized manufacturing, and converted paper products, reflecting a strong emphasis on innovation and industrial capability. She routinely handles full and open competitions as well as small business set-asides, ensuring transparency, fairness, and regulatory adherence throughout the acquisition lifecycle. While specific contractor names are not available, her procurement patterns indicate consistent engagement with a broad spectrum of vendors, including both large-capability firms and small businesses capable of delivering technical and manufacturing solutions. Her working relationships are characterized by a focus on performance-based contracting, clear statement of work development, and post-award oversight to ensure deliverables meet technical specifications and timelines. She fosters collaborative vendor partnerships grounded in accountability and compliance with FAR provisions. Ms. Barton demonstrates a strong preference for full and open competition, with 84.2% of her awards issued without set-aside restrictions. However, she actively supports small business participation, allocating 15.8% of her acquisitions to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. Her approach reflects a balanced commitment to maximizing competition while ensuring meaningful opportunities for small businesses, though she does not routinely utilize specialized socioeconomic programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (541712) and the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), indicating expertise in scientific and analytical services. She also regularly procures specialized manufacturing outputs, particularly in printing ink (325910), miscellaneous manufacturing (339999), and converted paper products (322299), demonstrating deep familiarity with industrial supply chains and technical product specifications.