Compliance with the limitations on subcontracting are not adequately being monitored by the contracting officers responsible for 8(a) contracts, according to a recent GAO report.

After reviewing a representative sample of ten 8(a) contracts, the GAO determined that contracting officers effectively monitored subcontracting limit compliance on two of those contracts.  In other cases, agency contracting officers failed to effectively monitor compliance, even in situations presenting a heightened risk of potential violations–such as where ineligible incumbents were serving as subcontractors.

The GAO report documents “confusion” among contracting officers regarding their obligations to ensure compliance with subcontracting limits.  Some contracting officers were confused about what the FAR, Small Business Act, and SBA partnership agreements require.  Other contracting officers seemed to assume that their CORs were primarily responsible for ensuring compliance with the subcontracting limits – although all 10 of the CORs in question “stated that contracting officers have not delegated this responsibility to them and they do not take steps to monitor the amount of subcontracted work.”

Keep reading this article at: http://smallgovcon.com/statutes-and-regulations/8a-subcontracting-limitations-compliance-oversight-lacking/