Redstone Government Consulting Blog (34)

What is SAM.gov?

SAM.gov is the System for Award Management (SAM) in which businesses must register to contract with the US Government and for non-profits to receive grants. The registration is valid for one year and must be renewed annually. It is recommended to renew 45-60 days prior to expiration.

Recent Northrop Appeal

Northrop attempted to open up a dialog with Government as to the allowability of litigation settlement costs it planned to include in its 2019-2023 Sector Home Office Allocation Submission. Of course, Northrop believed the cost was allowable, and the Corporate Administrative Contracting Officer (CACO) believed the costs to be unallowable.

The Finding of Concern –

While the decision in the case (ASBCA, 21-1 BCA ¶37,823 Hollymatic Corporation, Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, (Mar. 22, 2021)) did not specifically rest on this finding; the board stated:

“Our reading of the solicitation is also supported by the fact this was a commercial acquisition pursuant to FAR Part 12 and the definition of a commercial item (product) in FAR 2.101, paragraph 1, requires the item to have been “sold, leased, or licensed to the general public; or has been offered for sale, lease, or license to the general public” (i.e., to presently exist in the market) (finding 2)”

A selective review and reference to this case by DCAA or DCMA could lead to the impression that for a product (i.e., item) to meet the FAR 2.101 definition of a commercial item the product must be completely developed and currently offered for sale in the commercial marketplace.

The National Institutes of Health Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) released its long-awaited Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Chief Information Officer – Solutions and Partners (CIO-SP4) program on May 25, 2021. Phase I of the evaluation of offeror proposals will consist of validation of the offeror’s completed self-scoring sheet and ranking the offerors based on this scoring. Only the highest rated offerors will advance to phase 2 of the evaluation. Accordingly, every point counts!

Overview:

• EEOC increases the monetary penalty for violating notice-posting requirements. 
• On May 18, 2021, the IRS released guidance regarding tax relief provided by the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" for COBRA-related continuation of health coverage.
• OSHA released new guidance on employer requirement to record adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccination if the employer requires employees to take the vaccine.
• The Department of Health and Human Services announced, "the Office for Civil Rights will interpret and enforce Section 1557 and Title IX's prohibitions on discrimination based on sex to include: (1) discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation; and (2) discrimination on the basis of gender identity."
• The CDC provided updated guidance for fully-vaccinated individuals on May 13, 2021, relaxing the recommendations for wearing face masks and social distancing. 

For many contractors (truly, for any business), any event with the word “Audit” in the name has a scary connotation. And when you add DCAA to that, a contractor’s blood pressure may automatically rise. However, the best way to rock an audit is to understand what it is for and be prepared for it.

A commercial item determination should define the item or service, document market research, identify the FAR 2.101 Commercial Item definition, and include a “determination” that the item is commercial. Sounds easy right!

What is CUI, CDI and CTI?

CUI is Controlled Unclassified Information and encompasses all Covered Defense Information (CDI) and Controlled Technical Information (CTI). CUI requires the safeguarding or dissemination of controls pursuant to applicable laws, regulations, and government-wide policies.

• Covered Defense Information (CDI) is unclassified controlled technical information or other information described in the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Registry found here.
• Controlled Technical Information (CTI) is technical information with military or space application that is subject to controls on the access, use, reproduction, modification, performance, display, release, disclosure, or dissemination. It does not include information that is lawfully publicly available without restrictions.

What are the circumstances necessitating the use of a letter contract which is also referred to as an undefinitized contract? The main circumstance is the government’s interests demand that the contractor immediately begin work and negotiating the final contract price (definitized) isn’t possible in order to meet the needs of the buying activity. Letter contracts should only be used when the work needs to immediately begin and there isn’t sufficient time to agree on the final terms and conditions. The government and prime contractors use letter contracts to immediately start work and then set a schedule to work towards negotiating to the finish line.

Whistleblower claims are on the rise with alleged violations of health and safety laws as well as fraud and abuse under the CARES Act due to the pandemic. Employers need to ensure they are familiar with the whistleblower laws and their responsibilities under government contracts.