Special Requirements

Government contracting is a broad discipline. It encompasses many different areas of law and regulation, including foreign trade, labor relations, the environment, national security, and illegal contracting.

Some of these special topics are covered in the articles in this chapter. "Are You a Sub?" concerns the legal issue of whether a company supplying goods to a prime contractor falls within the definition of a subcontractor under the FAR. "Federal Acquisition of Foreign Products" discusses the Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act. "Record Retention" covers what types and how long a contractor must retain on file records relevant to a government contract.

"Procurement Integrity, Part 1: Agency Personnel" describes the rules governing an agency's officers, while "Procurement Integrity, Part 2: Contractors" looks at the contractors' perspective. "A Necessary Distance," which was prompted by my running into a GSA Contracting Officer at a Christmas display at a mall, talks about the reserve between the government and contractor communities.

"Suspension and Debarment" discusses a dark side of government contracting. "The Freedom of Information Act" describes how you can obtain public contract documents. The three entries on Section 508 outline the essential characteristics of the Section 508 initiative, the goal of which is to allow federal employees who are disabled to use "electronic and information technology" in the performance of their jobs, as well as to permit citizens with disabilities to access and use information and data provided by an agency to the public at large. Finally, "Federal Isn't the Only Avenue for Government Spending" addresses the state procurement market, which often stands in the shadow of federal government contracting.