Code of Federal Regulations Title 48. Federal Acquisition Regulations System 48.903.201-7 9903.201–7 Cognizant Federal agency responsibilities

(a) The requirements of part 9903 shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be administered by the cognizant Federal agency responsible for a particular contractor organization or location, usually the Federal agency responsible for negotiating indirect cost rates on behalf of the Government. The cognizant Federal agency should take the lead role in administering the requirements of part 9903 and coordinating CAS administrative actions with all affected Federal agencies. When multiple CAS-covered contracts or more than one Federal agency are involved, agencies should discourage Contracting Officers from individually administering CAS on a contract-by-contract basis. Coordinated administrative actions will provide greater assurances that individual contractors follow their cost accounting practices consistently under all their CAS-covered contracts and that changes in cost accounting practices or CAS noncompliance issues are resolved, equitably, in a uniform overall manner.

(b) Federal agencies shall prescribe regulations and establish internal policies and procedures governing how agencies will administer the requirements of CAS-covered contracts, with particular emphasis on inter-agency coordination activities. Procedures to be followed when an agency is and is not the cognizant Federal agency should be clearly delineated. Internal agency policies and procedures shall provide for the designation of the agency office(s) or officials responsible for administering CAS under the agency's CAS-covered contracts at each contractor business unit and the delegation of necessary contracting authority to agency individuals authorized to administer the terms and conditions of CAS-covered contracts, e.g., Administrative Contracting Officers (ACOs) or other agency officials authorized to perform in that capacity. Agencies are urged to coordinate on the development of such regulations.