Overview
FAR Subpart 11.2 prescribes policies and procedures for the use, identification, and maintenance of requirements documents—such as federal specifications and standards—in government solicitations. It ensures that prospective contractors have clear, predictable access to the technical requirements necessary to submit competitive proposals while establishing a framework for continuous improvement of these documents.
Key Rules
- Specific Identification: Solicitations must identify requirements documents by their specific approval dates and the dates of any amendments. Using vague terms like "the issue in effect on the date of the solicitation" is expressly prohibited.
- Availability Requirements: While contracting offices do not normally furnish standard documents listed in indices like ASSIST or the GSA Index, they must provide them if:
- The document is necessary for a competent evaluation of the solicitation.
- The Contracting Officer determines it would be impracticable for the contractor to obtain it in time.
- A prospective contractor specifically requests a copy.
- Referenced Documents: When a specification refers to other documents, the solicitation must clearly define the extent of their applicability and identify all "first-tier" references.
- Non-Government Standards: Agencies are encouraged to use voluntary consensus standards and may purchase them from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) or via the standards-developing organization.
- Mandatory Provisions: Specific FAR provisions (52.211-1 through 52.211-4) must be inserted into solicitations to notify contractors where and how to obtain or examine cited specifications.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers:
- Accurately identifying and dating all specifications in the solicitation.
- Determining when it is necessary to furnish documents directly to offerors.
- Inserting the appropriate "Availability of Specifications" provisions based on where the documents are hosted.
- Acquisition Organizations/Agencies:
- Communicating with "customers" (end-users) to ensure requirements documents reflect actual needs.
- Providing industry an opportunity to comment on requirements documents whenever practicable.
- Maintaining documents and submitting change recommendations to the GSA or the cognizant preparing activity.
- Defense Standardization Program Office: Responsible for providing defense-related non-government standards and managing documents within the ASSIST database.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): Responsible for assisting agencies in identifying the sources and content of non-government standards.
Practical Implications
- Elimination of Ambiguity: The prohibition on "issue in effect" language prevents "version creep" or disputes during performance regarding which iteration of a technical standard applies to the contract.
- Reduced Administrative Burden: By pointing contractors to the ASSIST website or GSA Index rather than attaching every document, the government reduces the "bulk" of solicitations, though this places the onus on the contractor to maintain access to these databases.
- Protest Prevention: Clear identification of "first-tier" references is critical; failure to specify the extent of a referenced document's applicability can lead to ambiguous requirements, which is a common ground for pre-award protests.
- Industry Influence: The "Customer Satisfaction" and "Maintenance" sections provide a formal pathway for contractors to suggest improvements or corrections to government specifications that may be outdated or commercially impractical.