Assess a proposed option exercise against FAR 17.207
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- From the contract and the facts the contracting officer supplies, list the option clause, the notice period printed in the contract, and each FAR 17.207(c) item with the fact the contracting officer has entered or a blank. Do not decide that the option may be exercised.
- What the lawyer must review
- FAR 17.207(a) provides that, when exercising an option, the contracting officer shall give written notice to the contractor within the time period specified in the contract. The contracting officer may exercise an option only after determining that funds are available; the requirement fulfills an existing Government need; exercise is the most advantageous method, price and other factors considered; the option was synopsized in accordance with part 5 unless an exemption applies; the contractor does not have an active exclusion record in the System for Award Management; past-performance evaluations on other contract actions have been considered; and performance on this contract has been acceptable. Before exercise, the contracting officer shall make a written determination for the file that exercise accords with the option, this section, and part 6. For full and open competition, the option must have been evaluated as part of the initial competition and be exercisable at an amount specified in or reasonably determinable from the basic contract. The notice of exercise shall cite the option clause as authority. The contracting officer makes the determination. The checklist does not.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Potential support includes preparing preliminary structure or wording. Confirm the tool’s capability and permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Open each relied-on authority independently. Confirm its existence, current status, proposition and any quotation or pinpoint reference.
- Trace every relied-on figure to its source, confirm dates and assumptions, and independently recalculate totals or derived amounts.
- Review operative clauses in the complete document, including definitions, cross-references, schedules and inconsistencies with the instructions.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.