YOU COULD LOSE YOUR SHIRT
PROPER PROCEDURES
MAJ Richard C. Garrison and Maria Finan, senior contracting officials with the 409th CSB, Kaiser- slautern, Germany, conduct oversight and assessment of simulated regional contracting centers as part of the Joint Contracting Readiness Exercise at Fort Bliss, TX, Jan. 14 to Feb. 1. (Photo by Larry D. McCaskill, U.S. Army Contracting Command)
through the use of warrants, to KOs. PARCs are generally in command or direct a brigade-size element, while KOs work at various levels procuring a host of goods and services for DOD. Tese indi- viduals execute the procurement of most goods and services that DOD purchases.
Teir specific authority strictly defines the ability of people in these positions to use taxpayer dollars. Each level of author- ity carries with it discretion to make procurement decisions based on the dol- lar value and type of contract.
To help manage the multitude of contracts across DOD, HCAs or their designees within units that receive the procured good or service appoint contracting offi- cer’s representatives (CORs). A COR has no authority to bind the government, but
108 Army AL&T Magazine
instead is the eyes and ears for the KO who is managing the contract. Te COR performs specific technical or adminis- trative functions relating to the contract. Importantly, typical COR designations do not authorize them to take any action, such as modification of the contract, that obligates the payment of money.
In addition to these acquisition personnel, a government purchase card (GPC) holder has the authority to make purchases for the government, but only within the confines of the card limit and the Army regulation outlining GPC operating pro- cedures (online at
http://www.usamraa.
army.mil/pages/pdf/Army_GPC.pdf ). A GPC holder uses the card to purchase a large variety of items in order to sup- port his or her unit’s mission—items that are not recurring expenses and cannot
be procured efficiently using the normal supply system.
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG But purchase procedures sometimes go wrong. As noted above, the government is required to honor only contracts cre- ated by people acting within the scope of their authority to enter into them. A person who obligates the government but in fact did not have the authority to do so has only obligated himself or herself as a party to the contract.
Te government is not required to spend funds on any goods or services procured by unauthorized personnel. For example, a member of a unit may order X widgets and receive delivery from a commercial source, along with an invoice or bill for the cost of the widgets. However, if the
October–December 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196
