FAR 48.101 General.

(a) Value engineering is the formal technique by which contractors may (1) voluntarily suggest methods for performing more economically and share in any resulting savings or (2) be required to establish a program to identify and submit to the Government methods for performing more economically. Value engineering attempts to eliminate, without impairing essential functions or characteristics, anything that increases acquisition, operation, or support costs.

(b) There are two value engineering approaches:

(1) The first is an incentive approach in which contractor participation is voluntary and the contractor uses its own resources to develop and submit any value engineering change proposals (VECP's). The contract provides for sharing of savings and for payment of the contractor's allowable development and implementation costs only if a VECP is accepted. This voluntary approach should not in itself increase costs to the Government.

(2) The second approach is a mandatory program in which the Government requires and pays for a specific value engineering program effort. The contractor must perform value engineering of the scope and level of effort required by the Government's program plan and included as a separately priced item of work in the contract Schedule. No value engineering (VE) sharing is permitted in architect-engineer contracts. All other contracts with a program clause share in savings on accepted VECP's, but at a lower percentage rate than under the voluntary approach. The objective of this value engineering program requirement is to ensure that the contractor's value engineering effort is applied to areas of the contract that offer opportunities for considerable savings consistent with the functional requirements of the end item of the contract.