Overview
FAR 46.408 establishes government-wide assignments of contract quality assurance (QA) responsibility for specific commodities to specialized agencies to ensure consistency and leverage technical expertise.
Key Rules
- Designated QA Agencies: Specific agencies are assigned responsibility for the following commodities:
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Drugs, biologics, and other medical supplies.
- Department of Agriculture (USDA): Food (excluding seafood).
- National Marine Fisheries Service (Department of Commerce): Seafood products.
- Direct Coordination: Agencies requiring QA support for these specific commodities are mandated to request that support directly from the designated cognizant office.
Practical Implications
- Contracting Officers (COs) do not need to develop independent quality oversight protocols for these items; instead, they must integrate the designated agency's specialized expertise into their contract administration.
- This centralizes the inspection and safety standards for sensitive goods—such as medicine and food—ensuring that government-wide acquisitions meet uniform safety and quality requirements.