Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) Best Practices
Abstract
Department of Defense (DoD) contracting and program office teams (PO), to include contracting elements, routinely award sole-source contracts to defense companies to procure capabilities and systems for warfighters. In these acquisitions, the DoD requiring agency, together with the PO team, must decide what contractor derived data products require delivery. Most contracts have several mandatory data delivery requirements. For other data and information, the PO team must evaluate data needs across the program. The spectrum of possible data includes all aspects of the contracts scope. The Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL- pronounced SEE-drill) functions as DoDs vehicle to obtain data from defense contractors. Once a DoD PO and a prime contractor agree to the list of deliverables (CDRLs), the list becomes part of a binding contract. CDRLs document the data items and information the PO wants the contractor to provide, aligned with the terms of the contract. A CDRL both assists and protects POs and contractors in the execution of a defense contract. Managing the use and effectiveness of CDRLs on a contract can be cumbersome and complex. Misunderstandings or mismanagement of CDRLs can lead to schedule delays, cost overruns or system performance disputes (ACQ-1, 2019). This paper examines the best practices and common features a DoD PO and a defense contractor should consider when managing CDRLs. The research identifies common shortcomings in current practices and recommends Best Practices and techniques to improve outcomes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 18, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1113282
Entities
People
- Craig A. Bergquist
Organizations
- Defense Acquisition University