Procedures for Issuing Task Orders under Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity Contracts

1. An indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract award amount will often be for $0, as funds are obligated by individual task orders (TOs). These fuels management IDIQ contracts contain the following language:

In accordance with Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 2001, Public Law 106-291, Contracting Officers from Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and USDA Forest Service are hereby authorized to issue task /delivery orders against this contract.

2. The contract statement of work (SOW) includes very specific and concise requirements, with TOs identifying only the ordering information, e.g. location of work, dates to be performed, funding. Negotiation of costs is usually not required as the costs per acre, etc., are most likely established in the awarded contract, as the Contractor understood the complexity of the requirements prior to offering a price. What the Contractor doesn't know at the time of award, is exactly when or how much will be ordered. TOs provide this information. A good example of this situation would be a brush piling project, where the precise and very detailed technical SOW is defined in the solicitation, and task orders  provide only the project areas, performance time (as specified in the base IDIQ contract), and funding. The TO may be unilaterally signed by the Contracting Officer (CO).
   
3. TO requirements are developed by the agency technical personnel (Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), Project Inspector (PI), or task order manager (TOM)) and provided to the ordering agency CO, accompanied with a requisition, for the issuance of the TO to the Contractor. The COR of the ordering agency should be involved in the requirements development of each TO and be knowledgeable of the requirements prior to providing to the CO for issuance.
   
4. The TOM operates much the same as a Project Inspector. A TOM is usually designated by name on a task order. There may be a number of TOMs under one contract. However, it may be advisable that only one TOM be named in the situation where two or more offices have requirements on one TO. This may be a new term for some agencies.
   
5. Generally, the lead agency awarding CO will issue TOs against that CO's IDIQ contract, as the lead agency CO has intimate knowledge of contract requirements and clauses, and is the individual who consolidates agency payments under the parent IDIQ contact.
   
6. TOs may be in the form of a word processing document, an OF-347, where block 8(b) designates a delivery order against an existing contract, or any other obligating document used by the ordering agency. Pursuant to FAR clause 52.216-18(c), TOs may be issued orally, by facsimile, or by electronic commerce methods when so stated in the Schedule of Items. Such orders must be followed up promptly in writing.
   
7. For BLM TOs only, the TO number shall conform to the Document Identification Numbering System (IM BC-98-50, change 4). Other agencies use their own numbering system. BLM may choose to consolidate the work of more than one BLM District on a single TO, citing each District's fund code.
   
8. The contract may require courtesy copies of TOs awarded against the lead agency contract by other agencies be provided to the lead agency CO, who monitors minimum/maximum total contract dollar amount, and the minimum dollar amount guaranteed the contractor. In the alternative, the contract may require the contractor to monitor all orders placed for periodic reporting to the awarding CO. It is the responsibility of each ordering office to report the acquisition into the Federal Procurement Data System.
   
9. TOs may be modified using the SF-30 to include changes, additions, or deletions to the TO itself.
   
10. Under BLM's accounting system, each BLM contract or TO may be tracked as of the previous day, e.g. obligations, deobligations, and payment history. Funds are deobligated if quantities are reduced. Other agency's TOs will be obligated and monitored through its accounting system.