Overview
FAR 11.102 mandates that federal agencies utilize established manuals and publications to guide the selection and development of requirements documents to ensure government-wide consistency.
Key Rules
- General Standardization: Agencies must follow the Federal Standardization Manual (FSPM-0001) when developing or selecting requirements.
- DoD Specifics: Department of Defense components are required to adhere to DoD Manual 4120.24, Defense Standardization Program (DSP) Procedures.
- IT Standards: For information technology requirements, agencies must follow the Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS).
- Mandatory Sources: The regulation identifies the specific authorities (GSA, DoD, GPO, and NTIS) responsible for maintaining and providing these standardization documents.
Practical Implications
- Uniformity in Solicitations: Contracting officers and program managers are restricted from creating idiosyncratic requirements; they must align technical specifications with recognized federal or defense standards.
- Compliance Benchmarking: Contractors should reference these specific manuals (particularly FIPS PUBS for IT) to ensure their products or services meet the underlying technical standards required for federal eligibility.