Overview
This section defines the three primary factors—technical description, complexity, and criticality—that agencies must use to determine the appropriate level of quality requirements and contractor inspection for a specific supply or service.
Key Rules
- Technical Description: Items are categorized as either "Commercial" (based on industrial standards or catalogs) or "Military-Federal" (based on government-specific drawings and specifications).
- Complexity:
- Complex: Items where quality cannot be verified by looking at the finished product alone; they require progressive testing and controls during manufacturing and assembly.
- Noncomplex: Items where simple measurements or tests of the final product are sufficient to ensure they meet contract requirements.
- Criticality:
- Critical: Applications where item failure could cause personal injury or jeopardize a vital agency mission.
- Noncritical: All other applications.
- Common vs. Peculiar: Both critical and noncritical items are further classified as "peculiar" (having only one application) or "common" (having multiple applications).
Practical Implications
- These criteria dictate whether a Contracting Officer will require a simple "Inspection of Supplies" clause or more rigorous "Higher-Level Contract Quality Requirements."
- Acquisition teams must perform a risk-based analysis using these definitions to justify the administrative burden and costs associated with intensive government quality oversight.