![](media/image1.jpeg){width="1.3125in"
height="1.2916666666666667in"}DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

1010 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1010

DATE: AUG 22 2008

MEMORANDUM

FOR: SEE DISTRIBUTION

SUBJECT: Monitoring Contract Performance in Contracts for Services

Section 813 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for FY
2007 (Pub. L. 109-364), directed the Secretary to establish a "Panel on
Contracting integrity." The DoD Panel on Contracting Integrity
identified inadequate surveillance of contacts for services as an area
of vulnerability that may lead to fraud, waste, and abuse. The panel
recommended several measures to ensure sufficient contract surveillance.

The acquisition of services is a useful method to assist the Department
in meeting its mission with agility, but contracts for services require
effective surveillance. Trained and ready Contracting Officer's
Representatives (CORs) are critical. They ensure that contractors comply
with all contract requirements and that overall performance is
commensurate with the level of payments made throughout the life of the
contract. COR activities should be tailored to the fuller value and
complexity of the specific service.

Requiring activities shall comply with the attached guidance to ensure
that properly trained and ready CORs are assigned prior to contract
award. Raters will evaluate the performance of COR duties as part of
their performance assessments throughout the period of the contract. The
provision of this memorandum will be incorporated in a forthcoming
Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
regulation in FY 2009.

/signed/

Gordon England

Attachment:

As stated

DISTRIBUTION LIST:

SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS

CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

UNDER SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE

COMMANDER, U.S. SPECIAL OPERATINS COMMAND

COMMANDER, U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (LOGISTICS

AND MATERIAL READINESS)

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING

ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE

GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

DEFENSE

INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DIRECTOR, ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

DIRECTORS OF THE DEFENSE AGENCIES

DIRECTOR, DEFENSE PROCUREMENT, ACQUISITION POLICY, AND

STRATEGIC SOURCING

DIRECTOR, ACQUISITION RESOURCES AND ANALYSIS

DIRECTOR, PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

DIRECTOR, SAMLL BUSINESS PREGRAMS

DIRECTORS OF THE DOD FIELD ACTIVITIES

ATTACHMENT

REQUIRING ACTIVITY RESPONSIBLITIES FOR

CONTRACT SURVEILLANCE OF SERVICE CONTRACTS

The activity responsible for technical requirements (the "requiring
activity") is responsible for prescribing contract quality requirements.
The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) is a representative of
the requiring activity, nominated by the requiring activity, and
designated by the contracting officer, to assist in the technical
monitoring or administration of a contract. The COR should be identified
early in the acquisition cycle and included in pre-award activities when
appropriate.

When a COR is required, the contracting officer will provide to the
requiring activity a list of proposed responsibilities for the COR. The
requiring activity must submit nominations for CORs to the contracting
activity. Where practicable, the requiring activity shall provide the
COR nomination to the contracting office as part of the purchase
request. The COR nomination package shall:

-   Address the qualifications of the prospective COR.

-   Affirm that the COR will be afforded necessary resources (time,
    supplies, equipments, opportunity) to perform the designated
    function

-   Affirm that the prospective COR and the prospective COR supervisors
    understand the importance of performance of the designated
    functions.

-   Affirm that performance of the designated functions will be
    addressed as part of the COR's performance assessments. COR
    supervisors are encouraged to solicit input on performance of COR
    duties from the contracting officer.

Complay with these provisions in the assignment of successor CORs.

CORs must be designated and trained prior to contract award.