I recently became a Small Business Professional for an Army installation. Before my current position I spent many years as a Contract Specialist as well as a Contracting Officer. As for my following questions, I am familiar with the "book" answer and all the FAR/DFAR/PGI references, what I would like to discuss is reality...
1. As the SB Professional where are my right and left boundaries? Keeping it as simple as possible, I feel my job is to ensure the maximum opportunities possible go to small business. I do this primarily by review and conducting MR. If the rule of two can be satisfied I push for a SB set-aside (or socioeconomic what ever is applicable). Is it that simple? I know there are many factors that go into an Acq. plan (politics, schedule etc ) but is politics and schedule something that the SMP should be concerned with? If you look at the requirement holistically, yes I should be concerned with those topics. BUT if I were to "stay in my small business lane" all I should be concerned with is qualified SB contracts and that we would receive fair and reasonable prices.
2. What is the spirt of block 18 of the DD 2579? My take is that as the SMP, I make RECOMMENDATIONS the Contracting Officer makes DECSIONS. If there is a disagreement and a "non-concur" is recorded, block 18 allows the Contracting Officer to continue forward. In my office a "non-concur" is looked at as a personal insult. I don't understand that and I want the opinion of the group.