§ 543.202 - Authority to issue change orders.

(a) A contracting officer's representative (COR) for a construction contract that has been issued a warrant under 501.603-70, may be authorized to issue change orders. (See 542.302.) Such change order authority may be exercised on a contract-by-contract basis by the contracting officer's written authorization. The contracting officer may further limit the authorization, e.g., to lower dollar amounts, to emergency situations, etc. In addition, the contracting officer's written authorization must instruct the COR to avoid personally performing all of the following tasks for a single change order: (1) Determining the need for change, (2) Preparing the Government's cost estimate, (3) Conducting negotiations, (4) Issuing the change order and (5) Inspecting the work. The contracting officer shall further instruct the COR to submit change orders to a designated official for review before issuance (for price-to-be-determined-later change orders before definitization) whenever all of these activities are personally performed. The contracting officer may personally review change orders or may designate the COR's immediate supervisor or a higher-level official within the organization to review change orders. To the maximum extent possible, the same individual should review change orders issued under a particular contract.

(b) Change orders should be issued after coordination as appropriate, with counsel, quality control, finance, audit or other technical personnel.