Overview
This section prescribes the coordination and communication protocols between the contract administration office, the government testing activity, and the contracting officer during the first article testing and approval process.
Key Rules
- Advance Notification: The contract administration office (CAO) must provide the testing activity with advance notice of shipment and specify the contractual requirements for evaluation.
- Coordination of Timelines: The CAO is responsible for requesting a completion date for testing or evaluation from the testing activity to ensure schedule oversight.
- Formal Approval Path: The testing activity recommends a status (approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove), but the final formal notification to the contractor must come from the contracting officer.
- Required Documentation: Approval or disapproval notices must include specific shipment and line item numbers to ensure accurate tracking.
- Separation of Changes: Any modifications to drawings, designs, or specifications identified during testing cannot be implemented via the approval notice; they must be processed separately under the contract’s "Changes" clause.
Practical Implications
- These procedures ensure that the government testing facility is prepared to receive articles, preventing administrative bottlenecks and delays in the production schedule.
- By requiring the "Changes" clause for technical modifications, the regulation protects both parties by ensuring that any adjustments to scope or cost resulting from first article testing are formally negotiated and documented.