DOWNRANGE COR
T
he importance of a contract- ing officer’s representative (COR) in the current theater of operations cannot be over-
emphasized. In Afghanistan, CORs are on the front lines of ensuring that the performance of DOD contracts is suf- ficient and to standard. This necessary yet underappreciated position is often described as “the eyes and ears of the contracting officer” (KO).
However, the position of a COR downrange entails many additional responsibilities that are often overlooked when a commander nominates a COR or assigns the responsibility to a Soldier as an additional duty. The sheer volume of requirements produced daily to support the full spectrum of combat operations in Afghanistan keeps most KOs in U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Con- tracting Command tied to their desks 12 to 14 hours a day, leaving little time for contract administration and oversight.
KOs lean heavily on the CORs to ensure that the expectations of the U.S. gov- ernment are being met. CORs face numerous challenges in fulfilling these responsibilities, but these challenges can
be organized and overcome with proper training and an awareness of local con- tractors’ expectations.
THREE LEVELS OF COR EXPERIENCE Deployed CORs typically fall into one of three categories: experienced, inexperi- enced, or extra duty.
The experienced COR is often a gov- ernment employee or service member whose primary duty for the deployment is contractual support and/or technical expertise in regard to a specific require- ment. Generally, an experienced COR is well-equipped for the job and adjusts quickly downrange. However, there are very few experienced CORs in the- ater, and those who do exist are typically assigned to specialized DOD programs.
While it would be ideal for every KO to have an experienced COR, it is far more common for an inexperienced or extra- duty COR to oversee a project. These CORs are assigned by their unit com- manders for various reasons and come from all military occupational specialties and career fields. They tend to have lim- ited or no COR or contracting experience,
with any experience they do have coming from online courses taken before deploy- ing or from a COR familiarization class at their pre-mobilization station.
While these programs have great value in indoctrinating a person to the philosophy and duties of a COR, they understandably do not prepare future CORs for many of the issues they will face downrange. Instead, the best preparation for a deploying COR would be to partner with a current or recent COR in theater. Together, they could iden- tify areas of focus for dealing with Afghan contractors or KOs that may not otherwise have been considered.
Additionally, when CORs arrive in theater, they should shadow the COR they are replacing or one who works on a similar contract. Most military units are getting better at allowing their CORs time to work with their outgoing counterparts to learn about the contract and how to oper- ate. Commanders must make this type of partnership a priority.
WORKING WITH AFGHAN FIRMS Another challenge that downrange CORs face comes from the International Secu- rity Assistance Force’s counterinsurgency guidance that, to the greatest extent pos- sible, KOs meet mission contracting needs through the Afghan First policy by con- tracting with Afghan-owned firms. The intent of the policy is to have a direct impact on the Afghan economy by employing
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
SFC Paul Carroll (left), Service Contracts Manager for the Directorate of Resource Man- agement, 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, South Dakota Army National Guard, and MSG Richard Albertson, a COR with the 196th, work with an Afghan contractor on forklift services and maintenance in Kabul, Afghani- stan. (U.S. Army photo by CPT Anthony Deiss.)
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Army AL&T Magazine
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