Title 48

SECTION 801.603-70

801.603-70 Representatives of contracting officers.

(a) In carrying out the responsibilities of FAR 1.602-2, the contracting officer may designate another Government employee as COTR to perform the functions in this section and 801.603-71.

(1) Except as indicated in 801.603-71, a designation under this section must be in writing, must define the scope and limitation of the representative's authority, and must be addressed to the COTR with a copy forwarded to the contractor.

(2) The COTR may not re-delegate authority received under this paragraph.

(3) The contracting officer may not authorize a representative to make any commitment or change that will affect the price, quantity, quality, or delivery terms of a contract.

(4) A contracting officer acting within his or her warranted contracting authority must authorize any change to a contract.

(b) A contracting officer may authorize his or her technical representative to do the following:

(1) Furnish technical guidance and advice or generally supervise the work performed under the contract.

(2) Take any action authorized in the contract, such as issuing a delivery order, rejecting an unsatisfactory item, ordering a replacement of an unsatisfactory item (materials or services) or declaring a contractor in default on specific delivery orders.

(i) Except for a contract for blood, the contracting officer may delegate this authority only to other Government contracting officers under centralized indefinite delivery type contracts and the contract will so state.

(ii) A centralized contract for blood must state that a contracting officer at an ordering office may designate representatives and alternate representatives to place a delivery order subject to the same restrictions in paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(3) Place an oral or other informal delivery order for items such as, but not limited to, bread, milk, and blood against a local indefinite delivery type contract for which there is a blanket purchase arrangement and for which funds have been obligated.

(c) In the administration of research and development contracts, any representative appointed under this section must be acceptable to the contracting officer and the head of the organization concerned.

(d) When the contracting officer intends to designate a representative under this section for a particular solicitation or contract, the contracting officer must include the clause in 852.270-1, Representatives of contracting officers, in the solicitation and contract.