Follow the Money
What three basic fiscal constraints apply to appropriated funds?
What is Purpose, time, and amount. Funds must support an authorized purpose, meet applicable availability and bona fide need rules, and stay within available funding limits.
What does LPTA stand for?
What is the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable.
What does IGE stand for?
What is Independent Government Estimate.
Which project delivery method uses one contract for both design and construction?
What is Design-build.
A Government employee without contracting authority tells a company to perform work. What is this agreement called if it is not binding solely because the employee lacked authority?
What is An unauthorized commitment.
Which law generally prohibits obligating or spending more money than is available, or obligating funds before an appropriation unless authorized by law?
What is The Antideficiency Act (ADA).
Which source selection process allows the Government to pay more for benefits that justify the additional price?
What is The tradeoff process
Which analysis evaluates the overall proposed price without evaluating separate cost elements and profit?
Price analysis.
Which project delivery method completes the design before soliciting construction bids and uses separate design and construction contracts?
Design-bid-build.
What is the approval of an unauthorized commitment by an official who has authority to do so called?
What is Ratification.
Weekly janitorial services provide value each time the office is cleaned. Are these services severable or nonseverable, and why?
What is Severable. Each increment of service provides an independent benefit.
Under LPTA, may the Government pay a higher price solely because an acceptable proposal exceeds the minimum technical requirements? Why?
No. LPTA does not permit tradeoffs between price and nonprice factors.
Which analysis evaluates individual cost elements, such as labor and materials, and profit or fee?
What is Cost analysis.
Why can two-phase design-build reduce proposal preparation costs for industry?
Only the offerors selected in Phase One prepare Phase Two proposals, reducing the number that incur the expense of developing detailed proposals.
A PWS specifies exactly how many workers to use and how to perform every task. What should you look for to determine whether it is performance based?
Required results, measurable performance standards, and a way to assess performance. A performance-based PWS generally describes outcomes rather than prescribing methods or labor hours
An office buys readily available computers in September solely for a new need arising the following fiscal year. Which fiscal rule should the contracting team examine?
What is The bona fide needs rule. Expiring funds generally cannot be used solely to satisfy a future fiscal year's need. Relevant exceptions and the actual facts must be evaluated.
A technically complex requirement has substantial performance risk. Why might technical capability and past performance receive greater importance in source selection?
They help the Government evaluate the likelihood of successful performance. Greater complexity and risk may justify placing more importance on nonprice factors.
You receive only one proposal. Does the absence of competition automatically make the proposed price unreasonable? What must the KO do?
No. The contracting officer must use appropriate analysis and supporting information to determine whether the price is fair and reasonable.
In two-phase design-build, are price proposals evaluated in Phase One?
No. Phase One evaluates factors such as technical approach, qualifications, and past performance. Price proposals are submitted in Phase Two.
Under FAR 52.217-8, what is the maximum combined extension of services, even when the option is exercised more than once?
Six months total. This limit applies specifically to extensions under that clause.
A construction contract awarded last fiscal year needs a modification this fiscal year. Is the modification date alone enough to determine which year's funds to use? Who should you coordinate with?
No. Determine the nature of the change, including whether it is an in-scope adjustment chargeable to the original obligation or a new obligation requiring currently available funds. Coordinate with counsel and resource management.
Under a tradeoff, the selected offeror costs more than another acceptable offeror. What must the source selection decision explain?
Why the selected proposal's benefits merit the additional cost. The decision must document the rationale for the tradeoff.
A contractor says, “This is our published catalog price.” Is that statement alone enough to establish price reasonableness? Explain.
No. A catalog listing alone does not establish reasonableness. Use appropriate comparisons or other supporting information to evaluate the price.
May liquidated damages be set high simply to punish a contractor for late completion? Explain.
No. Liquidated damages are compensatory. They must reasonably forecast probable Government damage when timely performance is important and actual damage would be difficult or impossible to estimate accurately or prove.
A contractor has already completed work under an unauthorized commitment. Can the Government ratify it if funds were unavailable when the commitment was made but are available now?
No, under FAR 1.602-3. Funds must be available now and must have been available when the unauthorized commitment was made.