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UPDATED: Sept. 28, 2023 @ 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) |  In the event of a lapse in government funding, all instructor-led FAI CSOD courses starting on or after Oct. 2, 2023, will be rescheduled until further notice. FAI will contact students enrolled in courses that are subject to rescheduling and work with course vendors to communicate new course schedules. Please consult with your agency’s acquisition career manager or small agency representative and plan accordingly.

Contracting Professionals Smart Guide

Last updated: 10/22/2018

How to Use the Smart Guide

The Contracting Professionals Smart Guide is organized into two sections: Contract Formation and Contract Administration. The tables below link to the Activities and their corresponding flow charts. Each Activity contains three columns, identifying relevant tasks, related FAR references, and additional information. At the top of the first page, each Activity links to relevant FAI and DAU courses, related online tools (if applicable), and the corresponding flow charts, which provide a graphical representation of the tasks. Please click here to download the Complete Guide.

Contract Formation

Contract Formation consists of 29 Activities that range from acquisition planning to contract development to contract award.

# Activity Flowchart
1 Customer Business Analysis and Acquisition Strategy Flowchart
2 Market Research Flowchart
3 Procurement Requests and Funding Flowchart
4 Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) Flowchart
5 Requirements Document Analysis Flowchart
6 Service Contract Labor Standards Requirements Analysis Flowchart
7 Required Sources of Supplies and Services Flowchart
8 Basic Agreements and Basic Ordering Agreements Flowchart
9 Source Lists Flowchart
10 Types of Contracts Flowchart
11 Limiting Competition Flowchart
12 Socioeconomic Programs and Set-Asides Flowchart
13 Interagency Acquisitions Flowchart
14 Federal Supply Schedules Flowchart
15 Simplified Acquisition Procedures Flowchart
16 Sealed Bidding Flowchart
17 Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity Contracts and Ordering Procedures Flowchart
18 Contracting by Negotiation Flowchart
19 Price-Related Information from Offerors Flowchart
20 Price Analysis Flowchart
21 Cost Analysis Flowchart
22 Responsibility Determination Flowchart
23 Subcontracting Requirements Flowchart
24 Accounting and Estimating Systems Flowchart
25 Cost Accounting Standards Flowchart
26 Audits to Support Proposal Analysis Flowchart
27 Organizational Conflicts of Interest Flowchart
28 Protests Flowchart
29 Inquiries and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests Flowchart

Contract Administration

Contract Administration consists of 22 Activities that range from contract execution to modifications to contract close out.

# Activity Flowchart
30 Contract Administration Planning Flowchart
31 Postaward Orientation Flowchart
32 Monitor Subcontract Management Flowchart
33 Contract Modification and Adjustment Flowchart
34 Options Flowchart
35 Performance Management Flowchart
36 Commercial/Simplified Acquisition Remedies Flowchart
37 Non-Commercial Acquisition Remedies Flowchart
38 Documenting Past Performance Flowchart
39 Assignment of Claims Flowchart
40 Administering Securities Flowchart
41 Administering Financing Terms Flowchart
42 Allowability of Costs Flowchart
43 Price and Fee Adjustments Flowchart
44 Defective Pricing Flowchart
45 Invoices Flowchart
46 Fraud and Exclusion Flowchart
47 Collecting Contract Debts Flowchart
48 Administering Special Terms and Conditions Flowchart
49 Resolving Disputes Flowchart
50 Termination Flowchart
51 Closeout Flowchart

Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) Update Tracker

The Federal Aquisition Circular (FAC) Update Tracker outlines all of the updates made to the Contracting Professionals Smart Guide since its November 2, 2015, release. The tracker lists the Circulars and FAR Cases (in reverse chronological order) that have necessitated updates to the Smart Guide Activities.

Provide Feedback

If you would like to provide feedback for the Contracting Professionals Smart Guide or if you have any recommendations for how the Smart Guide can be improved, please fill out the FAI Feedback Form.

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