FAR 42.1301—General.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 42.1301 is the general statement for the contract administration subpart that deals with Government-caused interruptions during performance. It explains that, during contract performance, the Government may need to order a suspension of work or a work stoppage, and that the subpart supplies clauses to address those situations. It also identifies a separate clause for settling contractor claims arising from unordered Government-caused delays when the contract does not otherwise cover the delay. In practical terms, this section tells contracting officers and contractors where to look for the contract clauses and remedies that govern performance interruptions, delay costs, and related claims. Its purpose is to ensure that disruptions are handled under the proper contractual mechanism rather than ad hoc, and to reduce disputes over whether a delay is compensable and how it should be resolved.
Key Rules
Suspension or stoppage may occur
The section recognizes that, during performance, the Government may direct a suspension of work or a work stoppage. This establishes the basic circumstance the subpart is designed to address.
Subpart supplies needed clauses
The subpart provides clauses intended to cover Government-ordered suspensions and work stoppages. Those clauses are the contractual tools used to allocate risk and establish the process for handling the interruption.
Separate clause for unordered delays
The subpart also provides a clause for settling contractor claims for Government-caused delays that were not ordered and are not otherwise covered by the contract. This is important where the delay is caused by the Government but no specific contract clause already governs the situation.
Coverage depends on the contract
The section makes clear that the delay claim clause applies only when the delay is not otherwise addressed in the contract. If another clause covers the event, that clause controls instead of this general delay remedy.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Identify when a suspension of work or work stoppage is needed and ensure the proper clause is included and administered. The contracting officer must also determine whether a Government-caused delay is already covered by another contract provision before relying on the unordered-delay claim clause.
Contractor
Recognize when performance has been interrupted by a Government order or by an unordered Government-caused delay and preserve the facts needed to support any claim. The contractor must also determine whether the contract already provides a specific remedy or procedure for the delay.
Agency
Use the subpart’s clauses to manage performance interruptions consistently and to provide a contractual path for resolving delay-related claims. The agency should ensure its personnel understand when a suspension, stoppage, or delay clause applies.
Practical Implications
This section is a roadmap, not a complete remedy by itself; the actual rights and procedures come from the specific clauses the subpart provides and from the rest of the contract.
A common pitfall is assuming every Government-caused delay is automatically compensable under this section. The text limits the unordered-delay claim clause to delays not otherwise covered in the contract.
Contractors should document the cause, timing, and impact of any suspension, stoppage, or delay as soon as it occurs, because later claims often turn on proof of Government causation and lack of contractual coverage.
Contracting officers should check whether the contract already contains a clause that addresses the event before invoking a general delay remedy, to avoid inconsistent administration or duplicate recovery theories.
In day-to-day administration, this section matters because it directs parties to the correct contractual mechanism for handling interruptions, which can affect schedule relief, cost recovery, and dispute resolution.
Official Regulatory Text
Situations may occur during contract performance that cause the Government to order a suspension of work, or a work stoppage. This subpart provides clauses to meet these situations and a clause for settling contractor claims for unordered Government caused delays that are not otherwise covered in the contract.