FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 44: Subcontracting Policies and Procedures › Subpart 44.3
FAR 44.304 Surveillance.
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 section requires the Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) to maintain enough surveillance to confirm the contractor is effectively managing its purchasing program. Surveillance must follow a plan developed by the ACO, with help from specialists as needed, covering key phases of the purchasing system and reviewing the effectiveness of past corrective actions. It also directs that duplicative reviews by CPSR and other monitors be avoided.
Applies to: Administrative Contracting Officers (ACOs) overseeing contractor purchasing systems
What it requires
- Maintain a sufficient level of surveillance to ensure the contractor is effectively managing its purchasing program
- Accomplish surveillance in accordance with a plan developed by the ACO
- Develop the plan with assistance of subcontracting, audit, pricing, technical, or other specialists as necessary
- Avoid duplicative reviews of the same areas by CPSR and other surveillance monitors
Key terms: ACO · surveillance · purchasing system · CPSR · corrective actions
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) The ACO shall maintain a sufficient level of surveillance to ensure that the contractor is effectively managing its purchasing program.
(b) Surveillance shall be accomplished in accordance with a plan developed by the ACO with the assistance of subcontracting, audit, pricing, technical, or other specialists as necessary. The plan should cover pertinent phases of a contractor's purchasing system (preaward, postaward, performance, and contract completion) and pertinent operations that affect the contractor's purchasing and subcontracting. The plan should also provide for reviewing the effectiveness of the contractor's corrective actions taken as a result of previous Government recommendations. Duplicative reviews of the same areas by CPSR and other surveillance monitors should be avoided.
← 44.303 Extent of review. · 44.305 Granting, withholding, or withdrawing approval. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 44
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Parts 8, 12, 13, 15, 38, 44, and 51 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.