The FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) Councils have proposed an amendment to “clarify” that Government agency acquisition personnel are permitted and encouraged to engage in responsible and constructive exchanges with industry, so long as those exchanges are consistent with existing law and regulation and do not promote an unfair competitive advantage to particular firms. That’s well and good but your average acquisition person is not going to know what the existing laws and regulations are, much less permit, and they’re too busy anyway to stop and try to figure it out. In addition, they’re also too busy to take the time to have meaningful discussions with contractors or wannabe contractors. This regulation, if adopted, will become a field day for bid protests – one little slip-up and you’ve got a bid protest to deal with.
New Regulation Formalizes Ombudsman Practice and Identity for IDIQ Contracts
An ‘ombudsman’ is an official charged with addressing and/or investigating the interests of individuals’ or companies’
