FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 242: Contract Administration and Audit Services › Subpart 242.2
DFARS 242.202 Assignment of contract administration.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This DFARS section limits when DoD activities may keep contract administration functions that must be performed at or near contractor facilities, listing specific exceptions. It also assigns responsibility for base, post, camp, and station contracts and sets rules for requesting support and handling FMS-related subcontracts.
Applies to: DoD contracting and contract administration activities
What it requires
- Do not retain contracts for administration that require performance of contract administration functions at or near contractor facilities, except for the listed contract types.
- Contracting offices shall not locate their personnel at contractor facilities, except in support of retained contracts or as permitted under subpart 242.74.
- When requesting support on a subcontract with FMS requirements, mark 'FMS Requirement' on the face of the documents.
- For each FMS case involved, provide the FMS case identifier, associated item quantities, DoD prime contract number, and prime contract line/subline item number.
Key terms: contract administration · contractor facilities · DCMA · FMS case identifier · preaward survey
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a)(i) DoD activities shall not retain any contract for administration that requires performance of any contract administration function at or near contractor facilities, except contracts for—
(A) The National Security Agency;
(B) Research and development with universities;
(C) Flight training;
(D) Management and professional support services;
(E) Mapping, charting, and geodesy services;
(F) Base, post, camp, and station purchases;
(G) Operation or maintenance of, or installation of equipment at, radar or communication network sites;
(H) Communications services;
(I) Installation, operation, and maintenance of space-track sensors and relays;
(J) Dependents Medicare program contracts;
(K) Stevedoring contracts;
(L) Construction and maintenance of military and civil public works, including harbors, docks, port facilities, military housing, development of recreational facilities, water resources, flood control, and public utilities;
(M) Architect-engineer services;
(N) Airlift and sealift services (Air Mobility Command and Military Sealift Command may perform contract administration services at contractor locations involved solely in performance of airlift or sealift contracts);
(O) Subsistence supplies;
(P) Ballistic missile sites (contract administration offices may perform supporting administration of these contracts at missile activation sites during the installation, test, and checkout of the missiles and associated equipment);
(Q) Operation and maintenance of, or installation of equipment at, military test ranges, facilities, and installations; and
(R) The Defense Energy Support Center, Defense Logistics Agency.
(ii) Contract administration functions for base, post, camp, and station contracts on a military installation are normally the responsibility of the installation or tenant commander. However, the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) shall, upon request of the military department, and subject to prior agreement, perform contract administration services on a military installation.
(iii) DCMA shall provide preaward survey assistance for post, camp, and station work performed on a military installation. The contracting office and the DCMA preaward survey monitor should jointly determine the scope of the survey and individual responsibilities.
(iv) To avoid duplication, contracting offices shall not locate their personnel at contractor facilities, except—
(A) In support of contracts retained for administration in accordance with paragraph (a)(i) of this section; or
(B) As permitted under subpart 242.74.
(e)(1)(A) In special circumstances, a contract administration office may request support from a component not listed in the Federal Directory of Contract Administration Services Components (available via the internet at https://piee.eb.mil/pcm/xhtml/unauth/index.xhtml).
(B) When requesting support on a subcontract that includes foreign contract military sale (FMS) requirements, the contract administration office shall—
(1) Mark “FMS Requirement” on the face of the documents; and
(2) For each FMS case involved, provide the FMS case identifier, associated item quantities, DoD prime contract number, and prime contract line/subline item number.
← 242.200-70 Scope of subpart. · 242.301 General. →
Rule changes for DFARS Part 242
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2025-08-25 · effective 2025-08-25
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Definition of Material Weakness (DFARS Case 2021-D006) ↗ · final rule 2025-01-17 · effective 2025-01-17
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Cost and Software Data Reporting for Major Weapons Systems (2021-D028) ↗ · proposed 2024-10-10 · comments due 2024-12-09
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Preference for United States Vessels in Transporting Supplies By Sea (DFARS Case 2021-D020) ↗ · final rule 2024-09-26 · effective 2024-10-01
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2024-07-29 · effective 2024-07-29
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Definition of Material Weakness (DFARS Case 2021-D006) ↗ · proposed 2024-06-27 · comments due 2024-08-26
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Preference for United States Vessels in Transporting Supplies by Sea (DFARS Case 2021-D020) ↗ · proposed 2024-04-25 · comments due 2024-06-24
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.