GSA GSA Specialist Vendor & Supplier Relations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a pre-award survey in federal contracting?
- To survey current contractors about their satisfaction with agency administration
- To evaluate a prospective contractor's ability to perform a specific contract before award (Correct answer)
- To determine fair market pricing for a contract requirement
- To identify small business partners for a large prime contractor
Correct answer: To evaluate a prospective contractor's ability to perform a specific contract before award
A pre-award survey is conducted by the government to assess a potential contractor's technical capability, financial resources, and management systems before making an award to a company with limited past performance.
Question 2: Under FAR Part 19, what is the primary objective of federal small business programs?
- To eliminate competition from large businesses on all federal contracts
- To ensure that small businesses receive a fair proportion of federal contract and subcontract dollars (Correct answer)
- To require all agencies to award 100% of contracts under $1 million to small businesses
- To provide tax incentives to businesses that hire federal employees after retirement
Correct answer: To ensure that small businesses receive a fair proportion of federal contract and subcontract dollars
FAR Part 19 implements small business programs that aim to maximize opportunities for small businesses to participate in federal contracting at both the prime and subcontract levels.
Question 3: What is an 'Acceptable Use Policy' (AUP) in the context of GSA's eBuy system?
- A policy governing how vendors may advertise their Schedule contracts
- Terms and conditions that users must agree to before accessing and using the eBuy electronic quoting system (Correct answer)
- A policy limiting the types of products that may be purchased through eBuy
- A restriction on which agencies may use eBuy for purchases above the simplified acquisition threshold
Correct answer: Terms and conditions that users must agree to before accessing and using the eBuy electronic quoting system
eBuy's AUP sets the rules and conditions under which authorized government buyers and vendors may access and use the system for requesting and providing quotes on Schedule orders.
Question 4: What action should a contracting officer take when a vendor submits an invoice that contains charges for unallowable costs?
- Pay the invoice in full and address the issue during the final audit
- Reject or reduce the invoice and notify the contractor of the specific unallowable charges (Correct answer)
- Forward the invoice to the Inspector General for investigation
- Immediately terminate the contract for default
Correct answer: Reject or reduce the invoice and notify the contractor of the specific unallowable charges
When an invoice contains unallowable costs, the contracting officer must reject the invoice or reduce payment accordingly and notify the contractor which costs are unallowable under FAR Part 31 principles.
Question 5: What is a 'Teaming Agreement' in federal contracting and when is it used?
- A government document authorizing multiple agencies to jointly fund a procurement
- An agreement between two or more companies to work together and submit a joint proposal for a federal contract (Correct answer)
- A GSA-mandated arrangement between large and small businesses for Schedule participation
- A formal partnership between contractors approved by GSA for MAS subcontracting
Correct answer: An agreement between two or more companies to work together and submit a joint proposal for a federal contract
A teaming agreement is a pre-award arrangement where companies agree to collaborate on a proposal and contract, often pairing a large business's resources with a small business's set-aside eligibility.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'Representations and Certifications' submission in federal contracting?
- To provide the government with copies of the vendor's financial statements
- To certify the vendor's status (size, ownership, compliance) and make required representations about various FAR requirements (Correct answer)
- To verify that a contractor has completed required federal training programs
- To document the contractor's subcontracting plan approval
Correct answer: To certify the vendor's status (size, ownership, compliance) and make required representations about various FAR requirements
Representations and Certifications (completed in SAM.gov) require vendors to certify their business size, ownership characteristics, and compliance with various FAR provisions under penalty of false statements.
GSA GSA Specialist Vendor & Supplier Relations 2
What is the purpose of a pre-award survey in federal contracting?