Quote Originally Posted by sandbag View Post
Sounds like you're getting bad advice. You're OK to talk to the vendor, so long as both you and the vendor know that you (as the user) don't have any actual, apparent or implied authority to enter into or modify contracts. I usually give my users a little blurb to stick at the end of e-mails to cover that. Who told you that you couldn't talk to them?

By the way, is there a program manager for that item, or is it some kind of commercial-off-the-shelf widget?

If you can't get an answer, get in touch with me.
Sandbag, This has been an issue for more than a decade with the USG Buyer and various vendors. There have indeed been some excellent examples of vendors willing to make things work and there have been too many examples of "lowest bidder to a USG contract". In all fairness though, most of the confusion has been a direct result of the contracting officer lacking background in contracting the wigit.

You identified a real problem. When the wigit in question is anything but the right item or service, and I as the end user indicate said, there's little left to do but modify the contract (not me physically). After all, it's wrong and people's lives are at stake. Not just a wrong sized bolt or nut, but a really big deal (useless too).

There are program managers involved and these wigits over the years are not off the shelf items (they take months to years to order and receive.. exactly why I'm PO'd).

I think contracting officers should possess more than just some contract training with our vendors and end users. It's that, or let the end user dictate what is needed directly. Is 5 meters or 26 kilos a big deal? Depends largely on what end of the stick you're on !