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This subpart prescribes standards and procedures for processing contractors’ requests for contract adjustment under the Act and Executive order.
The fact that losses occur under a contract is not sufficient basis for exercising the authority conferred by the Act. Whether appropriate action will facilitate the national defense is a judgment to be made on the basis of all of the facts of the case. Although it is impossible to predict or enumerate all the types of cases in which action may be appropriate, examples are included in 50.302. Even if all of the factors in any of the examples are present, other considerations may warrant denying a contractor’s request for contract adjustment. The examples are not intended to exclude other cases in which the approving authority determines that the circumstances warrant action.
(a) When an actual or threatened loss under a defense contract, however caused, will impair the productive ability of a contractor whose continued performance on any defense contract or whose continued operation as a source of supply is found to be essential to the national defense, the contract may be amended without consideration, but only to the extent necessary to avoid such impairment to the contractor’s productive ability.
(b) When a contractor suffers a loss (not merely a decrease in anticipated profits) under a defense contract because of Government action, the character of the action will generally determine whether any adjustment in the contract will be made, and its extent. When the Government directs its action primarily at the contractor and acts in its capacity as the other contracting party, the contract may be adjusted in the interest of fairness. Thus, when Government action, while not creating any liability on the Government’s part, increases performance cost and results in a loss to the contractor, fairness may make some adjustment appropriate.
(a) A contract may be amended or modified to correct or mitigate the effect of a mistake. The following are examples of mistakes that may make such action appropriate:
(1) A mistake or ambiguity consisting of the failure to express, or express clearly, in a written contract, the agreement as both parties understood it.
(2) A contractor’s mistake so obvious that it was or should have been apparent to the contracting officer.
(3) A mutual mistake as to a material fact.
(b) Amending contracts to correct mistakes with the least possible delay normally will facilitate the national defense by expediting the contracting program and assuring contractors that mistakes will be corrected expeditiously and fairly.
Under certain circumstances, informal commitments may be formalized to permit payment to persons who have taken action without a formal contract; for example, when a person, responding to an agency official’s written or oral instructions and relying in good faith upon the official’s apparent authority to issue them, has furnished or arranged to furnish supplies or services to the agency, or to a defense contractor or subcontractor, without formal contractual coverage. Formalizing commitments under such circumstances normally will facilitate the national defense by assuring such persons that they will be treated fairly and paid expeditiously.
A contractor seeking a contract adjustment shall submit a request in duplicate to the contracting officer or an authorized representative. The request, normally a letter, shall state as a minimum—
(a) The precise adjustment requested;
(b) The essential facts, summarized chronologically in narrative form;
(c) The contractor’s conclusions based on these facts, showing, in terms of the considerations set forth in 50.301 and 50.302, when the contractor considers itself entitled to the adjustment; and
(d) Whether or not—
(1) All obligations under the contracts involved have been discharged;
(2) Final payment under the contracts involved has been made;
(3) Any proceeds from the request will be subject to assignment or other transfer, and to whom; and
(4) The contractor has sought the same, or a similar or related, adjustment from the Government Accountability Office or any other part of the Government, or anticipates doing so.
A contractor seeking a contract adjustment that exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold shall, at the time the request is submitted, submit a certification by a person authorized to certify the request on behalf of the contractor that—
(a) The request is made in good faith and
(b) The supporting data are accurate and complete to the best of that person’s knowledge and belief.
(a) General. When it is appropriate, the contracting officer or other agency official shall request the contractor to support any request made under 50.303-1 with any of the following information:
(1) A brief description of the contracts involved, the dates of execution and amendments, the items being acquired, the price or prices, the delivery schedules, and any special contract provisions relevant to the request.
(2) A history of performance indicating when work under the contracts or commitments began, the progress made to date, an exact statement of the contractor’s remaining obligations, and the contractor’s expectations regarding completion.
(3) A statement of payments received, due, and yet to be received or to become due, including advance and progress payments; amounts withheld by the Government; and information as to any obligations of the Government yet to be performed under the contracts.
(4) A detailed analysis of the request’s monetary elements, including precisely how the actual or estimated dollar amount was determined and the effect of approval or denial on the contractor’s profits before Federal income taxes.
(5) A statement of the contractor’s understanding of why the request’s subject matter cannot now, and could not at the time it arose, be disposed of under the contract terms.
(6) The best supporting evidence available to the contractor, including contemporaneous memorandums, correspondence, and affidavits.
(7) Relevant financial statements, cost analyses, or other such data, preferably certified by a certified public accountant, as necessary to support the request’s monetary elements.
(8) A list of persons connected with the contracts who have factual knowledge of the subject matter, including, when possible, their names, offices or titles, addresses, and telephone numbers.
(9) A statement and evidence of steps taken to reduce losses and claims to a minimum.
(10) Any other relevant statements or evidence that may be required.
(b) Amendments without consideration—essentiality a factor. When a request involves possible amendment without consideration, and essentiality to the national defense is a factor (50.302-1(a)), the contractor may be asked to furnish, in addition to the facts and evidence listed in paragraph (a) of this section, any of the following information:
(1) A statement and evidence of the contractor’s original breakdown of estimated costs, including contingency allowances, and profit.
(2) A statement and evidence of the contractor’s present estimate of total costs under the contracts involved if it is enabled to complete them, broken down between costs accrued to date and completion costs, and between costs paid and those owed.
(3) A statement and evidence of the contractor’s estimate of the final price of the contracts, taking into account all known or contemplated escalation, changes, extras, and the like.
(4) A statement of any claims known or contemplated by the contractor against the Government involving the contracts, other than those stated in response to paragraph (b)(3) of this section.
(5) An estimate of the contractor’s total profit or loss under the contracts if it is enabled to complete them at the estimated final contract price, broken down between profit or loss to date and completion profit or loss.
(6) An estimate of the contractor’s total profit or loss from other Government business and all other sources, from the date of the first contract involved to the estimated completion date of the last contract involved.
(7) A statement of the amount of any tax refunds to date, and an estimate of those anticipated, for the period from the date of the first contract involved to the estimated completion date of the last contract involved.
(8) A detailed statement of efforts the contractor has made to obtain funds from commercial sources to enable contract completion.
(9) A statement of the minimum amount the contractor needs as an amendment without consideration to enable contract completion, and the detailed basis for that amount.
(10) An estimate of the time required to complete each contract if the request is granted.
(11) A statement of the factors causing the loss under the contracts involved.
(12) A statement of the course of events anticipated if the request is denied.
(13) Balance sheets, preferably certified by a certified public accountant, (i) for the contractor’s fiscal year immediately preceding the date of the first contract, (ii) for each subsequent fiscal year, (iii) as of the request date, and (iv) projected as of the completion date of all the contracts involved (assuming the contractor is enabled to complete them at the estimated final prices), together with income statements for annual periods subsequent to the date of the first balance sheet. Balance sheets and income statements should be both consolidated and broken down by affiliates. They should show all transactions between the contractor and its affiliates, stockholders, and partners, including loans to the contractor guaranteed by any stockholder or partner.
(14) A list of all salaries, bonuses, and other compensation paid or furnished to the principal officers or partners, and of all dividends and other withdrawals, and of all payments to stockholders in any form since the date of the first contract involved.
(c) Amendments without consideration—essentiality not a factor. When a request involves possible amendment without consideration because of Government action, and essentiality to the national defense is not a factor (50.302-1(b)), the contractor may be asked to furnish, in addition to the facts and evidence listed in paragraph (a) of this section, any of the following information:
(1) A clear statement of the precise Government action that the contractor considers to have caused a loss under the contract, with evidence to support each essential fact.
(2) A statement and evidence of the contractor’s original breakdown of estimated costs, including contingency allowances, and profit.
(3) The estimated total loss under the contract, with detailed supporting analysis.
(4) The estimated loss resulting specifically from the Government action, with detailed supporting analysis.
(d) Correcting mistakes. When a request involves possible correction of a mistake (50.302-2), the contractor may be asked to furnish, in addition to the facts and evidence listed in paragraph (a) of this section, any of the following information:
(1) A statement and evidence of the precise error made, ambiguity existing, or misunderstanding arising, showing what it consists of, how it occurred, and the intention of the parties.
(2) A statement explaining when the mistake was discovered, when the contracting officer was given notice of it, and whether this notice was given before completion of work under, or the effective termination date of, the contract.
(3) An estimate of profit or loss under the contract, with detailed supporting analysis.
(4) An estimate of the increase in cost to the Government resulting from the adjustment requested, with detailed supporting analysis.
(e) Formalizing informal commitments. When a request involves possible formalizing of an informal commitment (50.302-3), the contractor may be asked to furnish, in addition to the facts and evidence listed in paragraph (a) of this section, any of the following information:
(1) Copies of any written instructions or assurances (or a sworn statement of any oral instructions or assurances) given the contractor, and identification of the Government official who gave them.
(2) A statement as to when the contractor furnished or arranged to furnish the supplies or services involved, and to whom.
(3) Evidence that the contractor relied upon the instructions or assurances, with a full description of the circumstances that led to this reliance.
(4) Evidence that, when performing the work, the contractor expected to be compensated directly for it by the Government and did not anticipate recovering the costs in some other way.
(5) A cost breakdown supporting the amount claimed as fair compensation for the work performed.
(6) A statement and evidence of the impracticability of providing, in an appropriate contractual instrument, for the work performed.
(a) In response to a contractor request made in accordance with 50.303-1, the contracting officer or an authorized representative shall make a thorough investigation to establish the facts necessary to decide a given case. Facts and evidence, including signed statements of material facts within the knowledge of individuals when documentary evidence is lacking, and audits if considered necessary to establish financial or cost facts, shall be obtained from contractor and Government personnel.
(b) When a case involves matters of interest to more than one Government agency, the interested agencies should maintain liaison with each other to determine whether joint action should be taken.
(c) When additional funds are required from another agency, the contracting agency may not approve adjustment requests before receiving advice that the funds will be available. The request for this advice shall give the contractor’s name, the contract number, the amount of proposed relief, a brief description of the contract, and the accounting classification or fund citation. If the other agency makes additional funds available, the agency considering the adjustment request shall be solely responsible for any action taken on the request.
(d) When essentiality to the national defense is an issue (50.302-1(a)), agencies considering requests for amendment without consideration involving another agency shall obtain advice on the issue from the other agency before making the final decision. When this advice is received, the agency considering the request for amendment without consideration shall be responsible for taking whatever action is appropriate.
When approving or denying a contractor’s request made in accordance with 50.303-1, the approving authority shall sign and date a Memorandum of Decision containing—
(a) The contractor’s name and address, the contract identification, and the nature of the request;
(b) A concise description of the supplies or services involved;
(c) The decision reached and the actual cost or estimated potential cost involved, if any;
(d) A statement of the circumstances justifying the decision;
(e) Identification of any of the foregoing information classified “Confidential” or higher (instead of being included in the memorandum, such information may be set forth in a separate classified document referenced in the memorandum); and
(f) If some adjustment is approved, a statement in substantially the following form: “I find that the action authorized herein will facilitate the national defense.” The case files supporting this statement will show the derivation and rationale for the dollar amount of the award. When the dollar amount exceeds the amounts supported by audit or other independent reviews, the approving authority will further document the rationale for deviating from the recommendation.
(a) The Act and Executive order require that every contract entered into, amended, or modified under this Part 50 shall contain—
(1) A citation of the Act and Executive order;
(2) A brief statement of the circumstances justifying the action; and
(3) A recital of the finding that the action will facilitate the national defense.
(b) The authority in 50.101(a) shall not be used to omit from contracts, when otherwise required, the clauses at 52.203-5, Covenant Against Contingent Fees; 52.215-2, Audit and Records—Negotiation; 52.222-4, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act—Overtime Compensation; 52.222-6, Davis-Bacon Act; 52.222-10, Compliance With Copeland Act Requirements; 52.222-20, Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; and 52.232-23, Assignment of Claims.
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