PGI 246.103: Contracting office responsibilities.

(2)(i) In preparing instructions for Government inspections, the technical activity must consider, as applicable—

(A) The past quality history of the contractor;

(B) The criticality of the material procured in relation to its intended use, considering factors such as—

(1) Reliability;

(2) Safety;

(3) Interchangeability; and

(4) Maintainability;

(C) Problems encountered in the development of the material;

(D) Problems encountered in other procurements of the same or similar material;

(E) Available feedback data from contract administration, receiving, testing, or using activities; and

(F) The experience of other contractors in overcoming manufacturing problems.

(ii) The instructions must—

(A) Be kept to a minimum;

(B) Ensure that the activities requested are in direct relation to contract quality requirements to serve as objective evidence of quality conformance; and

(C) Be prepared on a contract-by-contract basis.

(iii) The instructions must not—

(A) Serve as a substitute for incomplete contract quality requirements;

(B) Impose greater inspection requirements than are in the contract;

(C) Use broad or general designations such as—

(1) All requirements;

(2) All characteristics; or

(3) All characteristics in the classification of defects;

(D) Be used for routine administrative procedures; or

(E) Specify continued inspection requirements when statistically sound sampling will provide an adequate degree of protection.

(iv) After issuing the instructions, the technical activity must—

(A) Provide the contract administration office with available information regarding those factors that resulted in the requirement for Government inspection;

(B) Periodically analyze the need to continue, change, or discontinue the instructions; and

(C) Advise the contract administration office of the results of the periodic analyses.