Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASP)s - To Share or Not to Share

[K K Ryan]

As a former contracting officer and now COR, I recently completed the MICC Enhanced COR training with a very thoughtful and knowledgeable instructor.  Toward the end of the class an exam question inferred that the QASP should NOT be shared with the contractor because it was a government internal document.  I took the position that it is required to share the QASP with the contractor because it was necessary for it to be the basis of any QC Plan (developed by the vendor).  A QASP informs the vendor about our means to evaluate their execution of the services described in the PWS.  I referenced FAR Part 37.604 and suggested that QASPs are often attached to RFPs in Section J.  We agreed to disagree, so I figured I'd bring it to the experts at WIFCON.  Is there a regulation that supports that QASPs should or not be shared with contractors based on it being an internal document? 

[Don Mansfield]

On 7/24/2024 at 4:53 PM, K K Ryan said:

Is there a regulation that supports that QASPs should or not be shared with contractors based on it being an internal document? 

Not that I know of.

[formerfed]

Agree with Don.  I also know of nothing along those lines.  The only reasonable argument for not sharing that I’ve heard is when the QASP contains details of how the government selects samples from large production lots for testing.  Some feel that the contractor might game the testing if they are aware of the governments detailed process to pick samples.  From what I’ve read and seen, sharing the QASP is an encouraged practice.

[C Culham]

On 7/24/2024 at 1:53 PM, K K Ryan said:

We agreed to disagree, so I figured I'd bring it to the experts at WIFCON.

FYI

 

[Vern Edwards]

From. OFPP Pamphlet No. 4, A Guide for Writing and Administering Performance Statements of Work for Service Contracts, paragraph 6.1.b:

Quote

To aid contractors in developing a quality control program, the contracting officer must provide the government Quality Assurance (QA) Surveillance plan along with the Invitation for Bids or Request for Proposal.

Paragraph 6.1.c:

Quote

Make sure to mark the QA surveillance plan with the following statement: “For Information Purposes Only. This Quality Assurance surveillance plan is not part of the Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bids not [sic] will it be made part of any resulting contract.” Use this statement since the government must retain the right to change or modify inspections methods.

Of course, the performance-based contracting concept and policy are a jumble of confusion, developed by people who did not study the problems and think things through. Just look at the so-called PWSs available at SAM.gov.