Nine associations representing construction contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals petitioned the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) to alter how the office handles change orders.
The groups want the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) amended to "make explicit" that before ordering a change to a construction contract, the contracting officer must assure that funds are available to pay for additional work being ordered.
“Our members are facing increasing numbers of instances in which a Contracting Officer will direct a change in the scope of work on a construction project, lacking funds available to pay for the increased costs being imposed upon the contractor,” the associations wrote in a March 18 letter to OFCPP Administrator Anne Rung.
The groups signing the letter included the Design-Build Institute of America, the American Council of Engineering Companies, the American Subcontractors Association, the Associated General Contractors of America, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, the National Association of Surety Bond Producers, the National Electrical Contractors Association, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association and The Surety & Fidelity Association of America.
They also recommended an amendment that would allow contracting officers to continue to make changes in the work within the general scope of the contract, at any time and without notice to sureties, “but only if funds are available to pay the costs of such changes.”
Related Stories
Architects | Oct 11, 2016
A good imagination and a pile of junk: How maker culture is influencing the way AEC firms solve problems
“Fail” is no longer a dirty four-letter word: for maker culture, it has become a crucial stop along the way
Architects | Oct 4, 2016
Video blog: How to future-proof your workplace
Larry Lander, a Principal with PDR and a registered architect, discusses how modularity can improve a workplace for the business and the individual.
Architects | Sep 30, 2016
Ugly soviet parking garage takes on appearance of a cascading waterfall
Architect Ignas Lukaskas worked in conjunction with Vieta and the Vilnius Street Art festival to transform the building.
Architects | Sep 30, 2016
HOK partners with Delos to accredit its designers as wellness professionals
They are also working on the first WELL-certified city district, in Tampa, Fla.
Architects | Sep 29, 2016
Join Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture’s partners Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill, and Robert Forest for “AS+GG At Ten”
The event is a presentation of their work spanning the past 10 years.
Architects | Sep 29, 2016
Design culture in Dubai draws increased international attention
Innovation and sustainability drive an increasingly global design culture in Dubai.
Architects | Sep 29, 2016
Space architecture is making the leap from science fiction to reality
3D printed domes and inflatable living spaces are just some of the ideas for how to create habitable spaces on Martian planets.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Sep 28, 2016
Architecture conservation efforts begin at Salk Institute of Biological Studies
Getty-led research and funding leads to important site repairs and long-term conservation management planning.
| Sep 26, 2016
RELIGIOUS FACILITY GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top religious sector design and construction firms
Gensler, Leo A Daly, Brasfield & Gorrie, Layton Construction, and AECOM top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest religious facility AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Architects | Sep 26, 2016
Explore the world through architectural adventures
A new travel program offers design enthusiast travelers 10 global destinations.