FAR 46.000—Scope of part.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 46.000 states the scope of FAR Part 46, which is the government’s quality assurance part. It explains that this part sets policies and procedures to make sure supplies and services acquired under a Government contract conform to the contract’s quality and quantity requirements. The section specifically covers inspection, acceptance, warranty, and other measures tied to quality requirements. In practice, this means Part 46 is the framework contracting officers, quality assurance personnel, and contractors use to verify that delivered items and performed services meet what the contract promised, in the right amount, and at the required level of quality. It is the starting point for understanding how the Government checks compliance, decides whether to accept or reject deliverables, and uses warranty or other quality-related remedies when needed. Although brief, this scope provision signals that quality assurance is not limited to final inspection; it includes the full set of contract administration tools used to protect the Government’s interests.
Key Rules
Part 46 sets quality policy
This part establishes the policies and procedures used to ensure that contracted supplies and services conform to the contract’s quality and quantity requirements. It is the governing framework for quality assurance in federal contracting.
Inspection is included
The scope expressly includes inspection as a quality-control and quality-assurance measure. Inspection is used to verify whether supplies or services meet contract requirements before or after delivery, depending on the contract and circumstances.
Acceptance is included
The part also covers acceptance, meaning the Government’s formal decision that supplies or services conform to contract requirements. Acceptance is a key contract administration step because it affects payment, risk allocation, and later remedies.
Warranty is included
Warranty is specifically identified as part of the quality-assurance framework. Warranty provisions give the Government a contractual remedy if accepted items later fail to meet required standards or performance expectations.
Other quality measures apply
The scope is not limited to inspection, acceptance, and warranty; it also includes other measures associated with quality requirements. This allows the Government to use additional quality-assurance tools as needed to ensure compliance with the contract.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Use Part 46 as the governing framework for quality assurance in the contract, ensure the contract includes appropriate inspection, acceptance, warranty, and related quality provisions, and oversee administration of those requirements.
Quality Assurance Personnel / Inspectors
Perform inspections and other quality checks as authorized by the contract and agency procedures, and help determine whether supplies or services conform to stated requirements.
Contractor
Provide supplies and services that conform to the contract’s quality and quantity requirements, support inspection and acceptance activities, and comply with any warranty or other quality-related obligations.
Agency / Government Activity
Implement the policies and procedures of Part 46 through internal quality assurance practices, surveillance, and contract administration processes that verify conformance to contract requirements.
Practical Implications
Part 46 is the foundation for deciding how the Government will verify quality, so contracting teams should think about inspection and acceptance early, not after delivery problems arise.
Contractors should read quality clauses carefully because acceptance does not always end the Government’s remedies; warranty and other quality provisions may still apply.
A common pitfall is treating quality assurance as only a final inspection issue, when the scope also includes broader measures tied to quality requirements throughout performance.
The distinction between quantity and quality matters in practice: the Government is not just checking whether something was delivered, but whether it was delivered in the right amount and to the required standard.
Because the section is broad, agencies may use different quality tools depending on the acquisition, so users should look to the specific contract clauses and agency procedures that implement Part 46.
Official Regulatory Text
This part prescribes policies and procedures to ensure that supplies and services acquired under Government contract conform to the contract’s quality and quantity requirements. Included are inspection, acceptance, warranty, and other measures associated with quality requirements.