Past Performance Information - What Is It?

Relevant Information regarding a contractor’s actions under previously awarded contracts. It includes the contractor’s record of conforming to specifications and to standards of good workmanship; the contractor’s record of containing and forecasting costs on any previously performed cost reimbursable contracts; the contractor’s adherence to contract schedules, including the administrative aspects of performance; the contractor’s history for reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; and generally, the contractor’s business-like concern for the interest of the customer.

COTR - What is a COTR?

Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) – A Federal employee who ordering/issuing agency contracting officer in the administration of task orders contract. The COTR is primarily responsible for the day-to-day program ordering activity’s task or delivery orders. Ordering agencies may have different designators for this category (e.g. GTR- Government Technical Representative, Representative, etc.). The COTR’s responsibilities are limited to those delegated in ordering/issuing agency contracting officer.

PSC - Product Service Codes

Product Service Codes (PSC) are alpha/numeric, from A to Z, with I and O not used. Three numbers are added to the alpha to further define what type of service is needed. For example, in the service code D308, the D3 indicates that the general type of service is automatic data processing and telecommunication services, and the 08 indicates that the specific service is programming services. In another example, R608, the R means that the general type of service is professional, administrative, and management support services, and the 608 means that the specific service is translation and interpreting services (including sign language).

Go here to download the Product and Services Codes Manual:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fpdsng.com%2Fdownloads%2Fservice_product_codes.pdf&ei=Ik4BS5GTNpCTnQfv5uGSCw&usg=AFQjCNF6QsRnvEzzMW5fRgqsL4MGKEszTA&sig2=pjzCI3QKtE9_9mcYzSzsVg

FAR Part 46 - Quality Assurance Requirements

All government quality assurance requirements are spelled out in Part 46 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Any language that you will see in a bid or contract related to quality control consists of clauses extracted from this Part.

NSN Example

In a typical NSN, for example, 4720-00-101-9817, the first four numbers are the Federal Supply Code (FSC), which places the item in a specific category. In this example, 4720 is pipe, tubing, hose, and fittings because it starts with 47. The second two numbers, 20, identify the item as hose and flexible tubing, which included air duct, metallic, and textile fiber hoses and their assemblies, etc. The next two numbers, in this example, 00, identify the country that buys the item: 00 or 01 is the code for the United States. The remaining numbers of the NSN, 101-9817, are referred to as the National Stock Number (NIIN) and are used to index NSNs.

NSNs - National Stock Numbers

The NSN (National Stock Number) is the 13-digit number that the federal government assigns for purposes of identification and inventory control to every piece of supply, equipment, and material it uses and buys. You can think of the NSNs as a federal cataloging system based on the concept of one NSN for any one item and one single item manager for each particular class of product. (Note that, because services are not inventoried, services do not fit this model. for services, only the first four digits are used.)

CCR Registration - Information Needed to Register

Here is a list of the information that you will need when you register in CCR (Central Contractor Registry):

1. Data Universal Numbering Sysem (DUNS) number;
2. DUNS +4 number;
3. CAGE Code;
4. U.S. Federal TIN;
5. A-T Number;
6. General Information about your company;
7. Classification codes for your company's products and services;
- NAICS codes
- SIC codes
- FSC codes
8. Information about electronic funds transfer;
9. Registration acknowledgment and point of contact information.

When you enter the information on the CCR website, you must fill in all the fields designated as mandatory or your application will be considered incomplete and your registration will not be accepted.