Overview
FAR 8.710 establishes the quality standards for supplies and services furnished by AbilityOne participating nonprofit agencies, ensuring they meet specific government requirements or high-tier commercial benchmarks.
Key Rules
- Primary Standard: Supplies and services must comply with any specific government specifications and standards cited in the purchase order.
- Supplies (No Specifications): If no government specifications exist, supplies must be of the "highest quality" and equivalent to similar items available in the commercial marketplace.
- Services (No Specifications): In the absence of formal standards, services must be performed in accordance with "good commercial practices."
Practical Implications
- Parity with Commercial Market: This regulation ensures that mandatory source procurement does not result in a lower standard of quality than what is available through open-market competition.
- Contracting Officer Responsibility: To ensure performance satisfaction, Contracting Officers should clearly cite specific technical standards in the order, though the "commercial practices" fallback provides a baseline for quality assurance and dispute resolution.