CONTRACTING OFFICERS

What makes a good contracting officer?

Abstract

The discussion explored the inherent abilities that an individual must possess in order to function effectively as a contracting officer. It was observed that the position of a contracting officer is highly demanding and requires the individual to have experience in legal and technical issues. In addition, an individual should also harbor patience, tolerance and a knack for the identification of risky contractual clauses.

What makes a good contracting officer?

Contracting officers are generally found in governmental organizations. An effective contracting officer needs to recognize his responsibilities and their impact. Some job duties of a contract officer do not relate directly to negotiation. A contract officer may also spend a lot of time developing contracts. A contract must satisfy legal requirements, align with company objectives and reflect the terms proposed by the contractor. The job also requires preparing supporting documentation. Because the contract spells out what a contractor must provide to the organization, a contract document must be complete and accurate. Developing contracts requires looking out for the interests of an organization. This paper will attempt to highlight the inherent qualities that a contracting officer must possess in order be successful.

Since a contracting officer is essentially the responsible for the establishment of contracts on the government's behalf, the contracting officer is obligated with the safekeeping and effective utilization of the government's resources (Callahan, 2005). Needless to highlight - this is a position that entails a high degree of responsibility, and therefore requires the individual seeking to be a contracting officer to possess extensive professional experience as an assistant contracting officer.

In order to be an effective contracting officer, the individual has to harbor an ability to give attention to detail. Most of the decisions that a contracting officer is expected to take tend to have long term implications ...