FAR 42.402—Visits to contractors’ facilities.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 42.402 governs how Government personnel coordinate planned visits to a contractor’s facility when the visit relates to one or more Government contracts. The section is designed to prevent duplicative contract administration activity by requiring advance notice to the cognizant Contract Administration Office (CAO), and it specifies the minimum information that must be provided: visitor names, official positions, security clearances, visit date and duration, contractor identity and points of contact, contract number, program involved, and purpose of the visit. It also addresses when a CAO representative may accompany the visitor, and makes clear that the CAO has final authority on that decision. If the visit will involve reviewing, auditing, or obtaining information tied to contract administration functions, the visitor must identify the information in enough detail for the CAO to determine whether the information has already been reviewed or is otherwise available within the Government, so unnecessary contractor disruption can be avoided. The rule further requires the CAO to discourage redundant visits and direct the requester to the Government office holding the information, while ensuring that information already in the CAO’s possession is promptly shared. Finally, visitors must report back to the CAO on any agreements or other results from the visit that could affect contract administration.
Key Rules
Advance CAO notice required
Government personnel planning a contractor-facility visit must notify the cognizant CAO sufficiently in advance to allow necessary arrangements. The notice is intended to reduce duplicative reviews, requests, investigations, and audits tied to contract administration.
Minimum notice content
The notification must include the visitors’ names, official positions, and security clearances; the date and duration of the visit; the contractor’s name and address and the personnel to be contacted; and the contract number, program involved, and purpose of the visit.
CAO accompaniment authority
Visitors may request that a CAO representative accompany them, but the CAO has final authority to decide whether a representative will accompany the visit. This ensures the CAO can manage contract administration coordination and contractor interface.
Identify information sought
If the visit will involve reviewing, auditing, or obtaining information related to contract administration functions, the visitor must describe the information in enough detail for the CAO to assess whether the information is already available within the Government.
Avoid redundant visits
After consulting with the contractor and the cognizant audit office, the CAO determines whether the requested information has recently been reviewed or is available elsewhere in the Government. If so, the CAO should discourage the visit and direct the requester to the office where the information is located.
Prompt sharing of CAO-held information
If the relevant information is already in the CAO’s office, the CAO must immediately forward it or otherwise make it available to the requester. The rule prevents unnecessary delay when the Government already has what is needed.
Report visit outcomes
Visitors must fully inform the CAO of any agreements reached with the contractor or other results of the visit that may affect the CAO. This keeps contract administration records current and avoids conflicting Government actions.
Responsibilities
Government personnel planning the visit
Provide advance notice to the cognizant CAO and include all required identifying and scheduling information. If the visit will involve contract-administration information, identify that information in sufficient detail and later report any agreements or results that could affect the CAO.
Contract Administration Office (CAO)
Use the advance notice to make necessary arrangements and prevent duplicative Government activity. Decide whether a CAO representative will accompany the visitor, determine whether requested information is already available within the Government, discourage unnecessary visits, and promptly provide information already held by the CAO.
Cognizant audit office
Consult with the CAO when the visit involves reviewing, auditing, or obtaining contract-administration information, so the Government can determine whether the information has already been reviewed or is otherwise available.
Contractor
Coordinate with Government visitors as needed during the visit and participate in discussions or reviews that are part of the planned visit. The contractor is also part of the consultation process the CAO uses to assess whether a visit is necessary.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly about coordination and deconfliction: before anyone goes to a contractor site, the CAO should know who is going, why, when, and what they need. That helps avoid multiple Government offices asking the contractor for the same information.
A common pitfall is treating a site visit as informal and skipping the CAO notice. Even if the visit seems routine, if it relates to contract administration functions, the notice and information-sharing requirements still matter.
Another risk is failing to describe the information sought with enough specificity. Vague requests make it harder for the CAO to determine whether the information already exists in the Government and can lead to unnecessary contractor disruption.
Visitors should not assume they can bring a CAO representative or that the CAO will automatically agree; the CAO controls that decision. Planning should account for security clearances and access needs as well.
After the visit, any commitments, understandings, or findings that could affect administration of the contract should be promptly communicated to the CAO. If that step is missed, the Government may end up with inconsistent directions, duplicated follow-up, or incomplete contract files.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Government personnel planning to visit a contractor’s facility in connection with one or more Government contracts shall provide the cognizant CAO with the following information, sufficiently in advance to permit the CAO to make necessary arrangements. Such notification is for the purpose of eliminating duplicative reviews, requests, investigations, and audits relating to the contract administration functions in subpart 42.3 delegated to CAO’s and shall, as a minimum, include the following (see also paragraph (b) of this section): (1) Visitors’ names, official positions, and security clearances. (2) Date and duration of visit. (3) Name and address of contractor and personnel to be contacted. (4) Contract number, program involved, and purpose of visit. (5) If desired, visitors to a contractor’s plant may request that a representative of the CAO accompany them. In any event, the CAO has final authority to decide whether a representative shall accompany a visitor. (b) If the visit will result in reviewing, auditing, or obtaining any information from the contractor relating to contract administration functions, the prospective visitor shall identify the information in sufficient detail so as to permit the CAO, after consultation with the contractor and the cognizant audit office, to determine whether such information, adequate to fulfill the requirement, has recently been reviewed by or is available within the Government. If so, the CAO will discourage the visit and refer the prospective visitor to the Government office where such information is located. Where the office is the CAO, such information will be immediately forwarded or otherwise made available to the requestor. (c) Visitors shall fully inform the CAO of any agreements reached with the contractor or other results of the visit that may affect the CAO.