acts as a focal point for the public works activities in the EFD’s  geographical  area  of  responsibility. The EFD procurement organization takes many forms,   depending   upon   contract   work   load requirements, such as dollar volume, physical location, and type of work. The EFD can delegate contractual authority to local Civil Engineer Corps officers to act as either   procuring   contracts   officer   (PCO)   or administrative   contracts   officer   (ACO).   As   the PCO/ACO,  they  are  responsible  for  the  review  and distribution of bid packages. They are also responsible for  the  receipt  and  evaluation  of  bids,  awarding contracts,  making  payments,  and  resolving  matters  of contractual  interpretation. COGNIZANT  AUTHORITY Regarding contracting, there are several duties required that have specific authority. The execution of these duties requires specific skills and knowledge. Assign  individuals  who  have  the  proper  technical knowledge and background to these duties. Some cases require  assignment  of  multiple  responsibilities  and duties. This assignment depends on the size of the activity and its involvement with contracts. Officer in Charge The  commander,  NAVFAC,  delegates  contract authority to the officer in charge (OIC). The OIC is responsible  for  all  aspects  of  the  contracting  office including  administration,  management,  training,  and surveillance. This should be done according to Defense Federal   Acquisition   Regulations   (DFARs),   the Contracting   Manual   (NAVFAC   P-68),   and   other pertinent   regulations. The  OIC  is  responsible  for preparation  of  the  final  contract  documents  and conducts the solicitation and evaluation of bids. Resident Officer in Charge The OIC appoints the resident officer in charge (ROIC) who is normally responsible for the post-award management of a contract. As ROIC, he or she will usually arrange for the pre-award conference, certify contractor  payments,  prepare  show  cause  notices,  and monitor  the  complete  performance  of  contracts assigned to him or her. Facilities Support Contract Manager The facilities support contract manager (FSCM) is responsible   for   the   day-to-day   management   of   a facilities  support  contract.  The  ROIC  will  appoint  the FSCM  when  the  contract  is  a  construction, maintenance, or repair contract. His or her primay duty is to make the contract run smoothly. Before the award of a contract, the FSCM or ROIC is responsible for helping  the  OIC  with  the  preparation  of  certain documents.  Some  of  those  documents  are  the  statement of work government estimate, and the QA surveillance plan. After the award, the FSCM is the contractor’s point of contact. The FSCM processes change orders. He or she also coordinates work orders with the ROIC. The  FSCM  or  ROIC  has  technical  control  and supervisory  responsibility  over  the  Quality  Assurance Program.  This  program  provides  the  best  information on a contractor’s performance because of the close daily contact  with  a  contractor. Quality Assurance Evaluator The  quality  assurance  evaluator  (QAE)  is  responsible for  monitoring  the  contractor’s  performance.  The  QAE works under the direction of the FSCM but is from the part   of   the   organization   that   has   functional responsibility   and   technical   expertise.   QAEs   are responsible to the customer for ensuring that work meets the needs of the customer as outlined in the performance work statement (PWS). The FSCMs are responsible  for  confirming  that  the  accomplished  work meets  the  contract  requirements.  The  QAEs  are responsible for preparing the quality assurance (QA) plans. They are also responsible for the surveillance, documentation, and evaluation of the work performed. QAEs  do  not  administer  contracts  but  assist  the facilities   support   contract   manager   through   the verification  and  documentation  stage  of  the  contractor’s performance. Accomplishment of the QAE’s functions requires in-depth knowledge of the functions evaluated. The QAE must have a detailed knowledge of the contract specification   involved   and   general   knowledge   of contract administration procedures. Expect QAEs to have, at least, a detailed knowledge of the contract specification  involved  on  assignment.  QAEs  will  gain general knowledge of contract administration from the contract  manager. TYPES OF CONTRACTS Currently, there are two contracting authorities used by the Navy for facility support contracts. They are NAVSUP  and  NAVFAC.  For  clarity,  the  different contracting  authorities  are  discussed. 8-3