FAR-compliant Proposal Compliance Matrix

A compliance matrix is a tool used to carry out a cross-sectional analysis of proposed projects. It assists managers and the organization in some ways. For instance, it ensures compliance with FAR clauses. Secondly, it provides a comparative referencing table that will help in evaluation processes and in finding specific responses for the RFP. Thirdly, it will assure managers that the proposal responds to compliance requirements. Moreover, it shows the requirements needed in every section. Therefore, compliance matrix enables contractors to operate within the legal requirements. 

FAR-compliant Proposal 

The FAR compliant proposal above provides the following information. Firstly, it avails all the required legal documents for the contract. For instance, letter of interests and invitation for tenders, Secondly, section B helps the constrictors to comply with FAR requirements on supplies, costs and prices. This section will enable cross analysis of costs and the FAR clauses that regulate pricing. Consequently, sections A and B of the matrix provide solid guidance towards complying with FAR provisions. 

Louisiana Construction Authority will be concerned with the following in section C and D. Firstly; it will strictly provide all the necessary information it has to the public with regards to the contract. FAR requirements on time and deadlines with have to be adhered with to implement this section, moreover, the section provides the contractors with regulatory frameworks on how to perform the actions that have been planned in the contract. For instance, it specifies the duration upon which it will deliver the contract. 

Appropriate FAR Clauses 

There are several Federal Acquisition Regulations that Louisiana Construction Authority needs to comply with while formulating and awarding contracts. According to FAR 6.401(a), the CO should trigger a sealed bidding acquisitions process by issuing an Invitation for Bids, (IFB) in a public and known media. In this invitation, the CO describes government's requirements in a clear, accurate and concise way. Further, FAR 14.301 (a) requires all bids to meet material terms. These terms include conditions, defects, prices, quality and quantity of the bids. As a result, the agency needs to understand the legal implications of poor bidding procedures before it begins to contract. 

Secondly, the contractors need to comply with the changes clause. This clause guides against standard terms and conditions. According to FAR 52.243-1, the government may take a unilateral decision to change contracts during the performance if it fails to meet terms of requirements and standards set. Additionally, this clause requires the CO to adjust any changes made to the contract in writing within 30 days. As a result, the authority needs to adhere to terms and conditions of the contract to avoid possible cases of government changing the contract. 

Moreover, the contractors need to comply with the Default and Termination clauses. For instance, the government will terminate any contract that fails to deliver supplies or endangers the life of the contract. Under FAR 52.249-8(a) (1), the government might terminate a contract that fails to strictly adhere to the contents of the contact. Therefore, contractors should comply with both termination and default clauses to enable the contract run smoothly. 

How to Identify and Account for FAR Compliance Issues and contributing factors 

Several procedures can be applied to identify FAR concerns in the project. Firstly, the functional or departmental approach, in this case, FAR compliance issues can be determined by categorizing compliance issues per department or functional area of a project (Lio, Xi, & Wu, 2014). For instance, looking at the specific FAR compliance issues with regards to procurement, methods used in production and the vendors involved in supply. Again, a wider multi-sectorial analysis covering several agencies can help to unravel weaker areas or procedures floated. This analysis should be carried out for a specified and consistent period. Consequently, the FAR compliance issues may be identified by multi- sectorial analysis and using time series data. 

Several approaches can be used to identify the contributing factors to FAR bridges. For instance, one need to dig into procurement rends. The useful data for this assignment include contract types, amounts contracted, types of products and vendor characteristics. The reliability of the data can be tested by performing various tests. For example reviewing information and validating files. Other factors which contribute to FAR bridges can be identified by observing organizational contracting trends. For instance, the total amount of obligated contract over a range of years can reveal amount allocated for products and services. In conclusion, to identify the non-compliance with FAR clauses, one can use procurement documents over a given period. 

How Planned Actions Helps in Soliciting and Awarding Contracts 

The knowledge of planned actions is significant in various ways to the solicitation and awarding of contracts. To start with, the plans enable delegation of responsibilities and setting up of teams (Tang, & Li, 2014). The various teams will be involved in acquisition and processes such as contracting, fiscal resources mobilization, legal and technical issues. They will also foster reviews during the project implementation phases. Through these actions, the contractors will review the various bidding procedure, pricing and cost models. These exercises will enable the authority to comply with FAR requirements. 

The knowledge of careful planning assists both government and contractors in prudent solicitations and preparation of both standard proposals and responses. For instance, once solicitation is issued, several contractors respond (Lio, Xi, & Wu, 2014). Some of the contractors also put up teams that solicit on their behalf for contacts. As a consequence, prior planning of action assist in meeting and filing statutory documents thus enables compliance with FAR clauses. 

The planned actions assist project sponsors in soliciting and awarding contracts in some ways. Firstly, planning enables preparation of invitation to tenders (Tang, & Li, 2014). According to FAR, invitation tenders must be prepared and published in the media. Time constraints abound. Additionally, planning assists in meeting outturns in according to financial forecasting. For instance, through planning, the costs of contracting can be achieved from lending institutions. Therefore, government agencies plan to comply with relevant FAR clauses and also to meet strict deadlines set. 

Recommendations 

I offer the following suggestions with regards to planning and compliance with FAR requirements. Firstly, planning should be undertaken before the contracting activities begin. Duties should be delegation and tasks broken down to enable smaller workloads to team members. Secondly, there should be technical teams to assist in the implementation of FAR requirements. Specifically, the authority should engage the services of a legal expert for the whole period of contracting. This strategy will assure full compliance and wise interpretation of all regulatory frameworks. In conclusion, planning is an integral activity towards project completion and accordance with the relevant law. 

References 

Li, Y., Xiao, S., Xi, L., & Wu, Z. (2014). Design, modeling, control and experiment for a 2-DOF compliant micro-motion stage. International journal of precision engineering and manufacturing , 15 (4), 735-744. 

Tang, H., & Li, Y. (2014). Development and active disturbance rejection control of a compliant micro-/nanopositioning piezostage with dual mode. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics , 61 (3), 1475-1492.