Overview
FAR 5.405 establishes requirements for government agencies to share acquisition data, particularly cost and pricing information, to ensure uniform treatment of issues when multiple entities purchase the same or similar items.
Key Rules
- Mandatory Coordination: Agencies and contracting activities must exchange information when acquiring the same items to promote consistency and resolve controversial issues.
- Critical Timing: Coordination is emphasized during acquisition planning, presolicitation, evaluation, and pre-award surveys.
- Obligation to Furnish: When a contracting activity requests information regarding major items from another agency, the receiving agency is required to provide that data.
- Contractor Disclosure: Contracting officers must require contractors to provide history regarding previous government contracts and subcontracts for similar end items or major components during negotiations or subcontract reviews.
Practical Implications
- Price Reasonableness: This section prevents "price silos" by ensuring that one agency doesn't pay significantly more than another for the same item due to a lack of communication.
- Due Diligence: Contractors should expect high levels of scrutiny regarding their past performance and pricing across the entire federal landscape, as agencies are mandated to share this data.