DLA TROOP SUPPORT SUBSISTENCE INSPECTION MANUAL 4155.6 * 

 DLA TROOP SUPPORT 4155.6 * 

 SUBSECTION 206.1 

 

PRODUCTION TESTING 

Production Testing Contracts 

AUGUST 2011 * 

I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

PURPOSE AND SCOPE. This Subsection outlines policy guidance for production 

testing of proposed and/or approved specifications. Production testing contracts 

are pertinent to the respective Contracting Officer and Quality Assurance 

Representative; the U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering 

Center (SBCCOM); and the Group Component and Individual Component 

Teams (DLA TROOP SUPPORT-FTRA/FTRC) * 

DEFINITION Production Testing, under contract, tests the adequacy 

and practicability of specifications of new or technically improved items 

to assure the specification requirements allow for quantity or mass 

production of quality items, within economic production practices that 

must also be unrestrictive to competition. These tests should be 

conducted prior to large-scale acquisition. 

POLICY Production testing requirements shall be detailed in the 

contract. 

RESPONSIBILITIES.

A. The inspection assignment shall include special instructions to the 

inspection unit, together with copies of the specification and contract. 

B. The instructions and specifications should be thoroughly reviewed by all 

inspection personnel who will be involved with actual inspection of the 

item. 

C. Production testing contracts shall be administered by the Contracting 

Officer. 

D. The Observation Team shall consist, as a minimum, of the Contracting 

Officer or designated representative, who shall act as the Team Leader 

for the specific contract, a representative from Natick, and a Quality 

Assurance representative of the procuring activity. The Team may also 

include representatives from the Army, Joint Culinary Center of Excellence * 

(JCCoE); the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); the U.S. Department * 

of Commerce (USDC), and/or the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps (VETCOM). 

The team:
1. Shall not perform the actual inspection, but shall offer advice as 

 needed. 

2. Shall evaluate the capability of industry to produce the item. 

3. Shall determine the adequacy of the specification for inspection 

purposes, including excessive or insufficient inspection requirements. 

4. Has authority to interpret specific requirements of the contract or 

specification, and make changes where ambiguities exist or revisions 

to specifications are required because of production capabilities. 

5. Has authority to arrange for necessary waivers or changes to specific 

contract requirements in conjunction with a review by U.S. Army 

Natick and the user (Military Services) approval. 

6. Shall determine whether requirements and quality assurance 

provisions of the specification are sufficiently detailed to acquire 

product consistent with the desired quality characteristics. 

7. Shall evaluate adequacy of packaging and packing requirements of 

the specification. 

E. Close cooperation shall be exercised among the Contracting Officer, 

other members of the Observation Team and inspection personnel 

involved with actual inspection of the item. 

F. Laboratory testing of the production test item shall be accomplished by 

the same Government laboratory and/or commercial laboratory 

responsible for acquisition testing on the item under normal contract 

production requirements. 

G. The Team shall complete a joint Report of Travel, which shall be 

provided to all offices having responsibility in the acquisition and 

inspection of the item. 

V. PROCESSING REPORTS.

A. Reports of inspection problems, shipments, etc., shall be accomplished in 

the normal manner. 

B. All special instructions and reporting requirements shall be included, 

with samples, if appropriate, to correct any specification requirement(s) 

and/or inspection issue(s) that may arise during the production testing. 

____________________________________________________ 

This Subsection supersedes Subsection 206.1, dated April 2010 

* Denotes changes