99-10125. Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) Training

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 78 (Friday, April 23, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 19928-19929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10125]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

CFR 48 Part 1842


Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) Training

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This is a final rule amending the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) to 
make the required COTR training subjects more logically coherent and 
flexible. Specifically, this change: (1) eliminates the Service 
Contract Act as a mandatory topic; (2) combines coverage of the Anti-
Deficiency Act with the Limitation of Funds and Limitation of Cost 
clauses; and (3) enables Procurement Officers to credit local ethics 
training against the requirement for instruction in Procurement 
Integrity.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 23, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Flynn, NASA Headquarters, 
Office of Procurement, Contract Management Division (Code HK), (202) 
358-0460, e-mail: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background
    The objective of NASA's COTR training is to provide a common 
background in contract management processes and contract mechanisms for 
NASA's COTRs to successfully apply their delegated authority toward 
project objectives. In fiscal year 1998, a review of NASA's training 
program resulted in actions to clarify the subjects that are required 
to be addressed and give NASA field installations more flexibility in 
how they implement the training.

Impact

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This final rule does not constitute a significant revision within 
the meaning of FAR 1.501 and Pub. L. 98-577, and publication for 
comments is not required. However, comments from small business 
entities concerning the affected NFS coverage will be considered in 
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 610. Such comments may be submitted separately 
and should cite 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply because the changes to 
the NFS do not impose any recordkeeping or information collection 
requirements, or collections of information from offerors, contractors, 
or members of the public that require the approval of the Office of 
Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 1842

    Government procurement.
Tom Luedtke,
Acting Associate Administrator for Procurement.

    Accordingly, 48 CFR Part 1842 is amended as follows:

PART 1842--CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND AUDIT SERVICES

    1. The authority citation for 48 CFR Part 1842 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(1).

    2. In section 1842.270, paragraph (f) is revised to read as 
follows:


1842.270  Contracting officer technical representative (COTR) 
delegations.

* * * * *
    (f)(1) Mandatory training for COTRs and their alternates shall 
include the following core topic areas:
    (i) Contracting authority and contract modifications (including 
non-personal services and inherently governmental functions);
    (ii) Inspection and surveillance;

[[Page 19929]]

    (iii) Changes and performance-based contracting;
    (iv) Contract financial and property management (including 
``Limitation of Cost'' clause, Anti-Deficiency Act, ``Limitation of 
Funds'' clause); and
    (v) Disputes.
    (2) Procurement officers are responsible for assuring that the 
course(s) utilized by their center address the mandatory core topics in 
sufficient detail for the purpose of COTR training. Procurement 
officers may accept the following training alternative(s) in 
satisfaction of comparable requirement(s) specified in paragraph (f)(1) 
of this section:
    (i) Another center's COTR training; or
    (ii) Annual ethics training.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 99-10125 Filed 4-22-99; 8:45 am]
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