Government Procurement Certification Stakeholder Engagement 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which FAR provision requires federal agencies to publicize contract actions above the simplified acquisition threshold on SAM.gov?
- FAR 15.201
- FAR 5.201 (Correct answer)
- FAR 12.301
- FAR 19.502
Correct answer: FAR 5.201
FAR 5.201 mandates synopses of proposed contract actions on the Governmentwide Point of Entry (SAM.gov) to maximize competition.
Question 2: A small business liaison officer (SBLO) is PRIMARILY responsible for:
- Awarding contracts directly to small businesses
- Advising on small business program compliance and coordination (Correct answer)
- Setting agency socioeconomic goals unilaterally
- Reviewing contractor invoices for accuracy
Correct answer: Advising on small business program compliance and coordination
The SBLO serves as the internal advocate and advisor for small business program requirements within the agency.
Question 3: During a post-award kickoff meeting, which agenda item MOST directly supports stakeholder alignment?
- Reviewing the contractor's corporate history
- Establishing communication protocols, POCs, and reporting cadences (Correct answer)
- Negotiating a lower contract price
- Discussing competitor bids that were not selected
Correct answer: Establishing communication protocols, POCs, and reporting cadences
Defining communication channels and contacts at kickoff ensures all parties know how to interact throughout contract performance.
Question 4: An agency program manager wants to add a new deliverable mid-contract without a contract modification. This would be:
- Acceptable if the deliverable is minor
- A constructive change that could expose the government to claims (Correct answer)
- Standard practice under indefinite-delivery contracts
- Permitted by the changes clause automatically
Correct answer: A constructive change that could expose the government to claims
Directing work outside the contract scope without a formal modification constitutes a constructive change, creating legal liability for the government.
Question 5: What does 'socioeconomic stakeholder engagement' in federal procurement PRIMARILY involve?
- Setting market price benchmarks
- Ensuring small, disadvantaged, and other special-category businesses have fair access to contracting opportunities (Correct answer)
- Reviewing contractor financial statements
- Managing interagency agreements
Correct answer: Ensuring small, disadvantaged, and other special-category businesses have fair access to contracting opportunities
Socioeconomic engagement focuses on maximizing participation of small, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB firms in federal contracting.
Question 6: A contracting officer is preparing an acquisition plan for a $50M IT services contract. Which stakeholder should be consulted to assess cybersecurity requirements?
- The agency budget analyst only
- The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) (Correct answer)
- The small business specialist only
- The Inspector General
Correct answer: The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
The CISO provides authoritative guidance on cybersecurity requirements that must be incorporated into IT contract specifications.
Question 7: When a contractor requests a meeting to discuss performance concerns, the contracting officer should FIRST:
- Terminate the contract for default
- Issue a cure notice before agreeing to meet
- Schedule the meeting and prepare by reviewing contract terms and performance data (Correct answer)
- Refer the matter to the agency legal counsel without meeting
Correct answer: Schedule the meeting and prepare by reviewing contract terms and performance data
Preparing with contract documentation and performance data enables productive, fact-based discussion before formal remedies are considered.
Government Procurement Certification Stakeholder Engagement 3
Which FAR provision requires federal agencies to publicize contract actions above the simplified acquisition threshold on SAM.gov?