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DOD Defense Acquisition Library
Below, our experts have curated a collection of valuable, publicly available, defense acquisition-related resources. In some cases, a policy or guide may be out of date; however, in our experts’ opinion, the listed version is still a useful resource that may no longer be available elsewhere.
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CATEGORY | Title | AUTHOR | RELEASE DATE | FILE TYPE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Contract Management | Air Force Guide: Award Term/Incentive Options | SAF/AQC | 01/01/2003 | PDF | Provides general guidance on ways to use award term provisions in USAF contracts and discusses the pitfalls of and important rules to satisfy, at a minimum, for non-cost incentives. This guide is no longer available from the Air Force, but remains a useful reference. |
Contract Management | Government Contractor Contract Property Administration Guidebook | DCMA | 05/16/2024 | PDF | This guidebook is designed to implement the requirements of the FAR, facilitate the effective and efficient oversight of contractors, provide a degree of standardization in corporate practices, maximize the department’s return on investment, achieve best value, and protect the government’s interests. |
Contract Management | Guidance for the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) | GSA | 11/03/2025 | PDF | Presents the government-wide past performance process, which includes procedures for the collection and use of Past Performance Information (PPI) for all contracts/orders. CPARS provides for the exchange of PPI between contractors and contracting officers in accordance with FAR 42.15. |
Contract Management | Contracting Professionals Smart Guide | FAI | 02/21/2025 | Link | The guide is designed to help contracting professionals navigate over 50 activities that often occur in the contract formation and administration processes. For each activity, applicable tasks are identified along with a flow chart showing the sequence of the tasks. The descriptions are in a table format that lists relevant tasks, FAR references, and additional information. Links are included to access additional guidance and related training available from FAI and DAU. |
Contract Management | Guidance on Using Incentive and Other Contract Types | OSD/AT&L | 03/01/2016 | PDF | Addresses, in a comprehensive way, the considerations contracting and acquisition professional should take into account when selecting and negotiating the most appropriate contract type for a given requirement. |
Contract Management | Commercial Acquisition Resources: Examples Roles and References | DAU-DCMA | 02/25/2020 | PDF | Provides practical guidance for both government and industry, empowering parties to better collect and evaluate commercial data when making a commercial determination. |
Contract Management | Standard Process for Contract Award (Sole Source) | AFLCMC/AZ | 08/18/2022 | PDF | Describes the activities necessary to award a sole-source (non-competitive) contract following a request for proposal (RFP) release. The process is consistent with AFMC Mandatory Procedure (MP) 5304, 16 Jan 2018. |
Contract Management | Contracting Subway Map | DAU | 02/21/2025 | Link | The purpose of the subway map is to provide a generalized order of events in the acquisition contracting process. Topics are listed as stops on four different subway lines: Industry Engagement, Acquisition Planning, Solicitation, Proposal Evaluation, Contract Award, and Contract Administration. Hyperlinks provide access to related useful information. |
Contract Management | Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR) Guidebook | DCMA | 09/10/2021 | PDF | Offers guidance on the CPSR, a review which evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness with which a contractor spends government funds and complies with government policy when subcontracting. |
Contract Management | Department of the Air Force Award Fee Guide | USAF | 10/01/2008 | PDF | Provides USAF-level guidance on the appropriate use of award fee in order to ensure outstanding contracting performance and mutually benefit USAF and its industry contracting partners. |
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