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Increment 1217 Aug 2027COR / Government PropertyBad path

COR-authorized unauthorized installation

Because trainees omitted the unauthorized-commitment warning from Raiden's opening briefing, he approves Colonel Campbell's request and the contractor installs the $32,000 mini-split, creating an unauthorized commitment by the COR.

Scenario descriptions

The situation, for each audience

Keep the trainer context out of trainee packets and read-aloud materials.

Trainee facing · Read aloud

Current situation

Because you did not expressly tell Raiden that a COR cannot authorize, agree to, direct, or permit extra work, he treated Colonel Roy Campbell's operational request as sufficient approval and signed a field authorization for Peace Walker Infrastructure Partners to install a dedicated mini-split.

Peace Walker now submits a $32,000 invoice. The unit was not included in the task-order drawings or specifications, no warranted Contracting Officer in the 713th Contracting Squadron (713 CONS) authorized the work, and the completed system is operational and in Government use.

Raiden's agreement was an unauthorized commitment. Determine whether it can be ratified and what investigation, organizational record, legal review, price determination, funding support, and approval package are required.

Trainer only · Do not issue

Facilitator context

Use at Increment 12 when the [I] briefing omitted an explicit unauthorized-commitment and change-authority warning, after asbestos abatement has advanced enough for office-wall framing to resume. Begin by naming the omission in second person. Raiden—not Colonel Campbell—is the individual who made the unauthorized commitment in this branch, so his signed statement and the training/control failure belong in the organization package.

Walk the same FAR 1.602-3(a) and (c) analysis used in [IG]. Ratification requires Government benefit; an authorized ratifying official; a purchase that would otherwise have been proper if made by an appropriate Contracting Officer; a fair and reasonable-price determination; Contracting Officer recommendation and legal concurrence unless agency procedures provide otherwise; funds available then and now; and every other agency limitation. The intended prompted record supports every condition, but benefit alone is never enough.

For process, DAFFARS 5301.602-3 points to the current DAF ratification approval template and MP5301.601(a)(i) approval matrix. The Contracting Officer investigates; the organization supplies the circumstances, corrective action, disciplinary action or explanation, Raiden's signed statement, and relevant records; and the Contracting Officer prepares the case summary, legal concurrence, contractor invoice and correspondence, recommendation, and approval package. The authorized ratifying official decides. Complete the package review within [IB].

Trainer clue bank

Regulatory signposts

7 sources

Direct trainees to a citation when they need a narrower clue. Have them apply the contract’s actual clauses, current thresholds, local policy, and the facts before treating any signpost as dispositive.

Release 01

Give initially

5 records

These establish the decision without answering the factual questions trainees should identify.

IB-01

$32,000 invoice

Introduces the payment demand.

IB-02

Raiden-signed field authorization

Shows the agreement made by a COR who lacked authority to change the task order.

IB-03

Colonel Campbell request email

Shows the operational request that Raiden mistakenly treated as approval authority.

IB-04

Installation photograph and Government-use record

Shows that the acceptable system was installed and the Government received and continues to use the benefit.

IB-05

Original contract drawing

Confirms the unit was extra-contractual.

Release 02

Give only after trainee prompting

5 records

Use the prompt as a release gate; close-enough trainee questions should count when they seek the same underlying fact.

Prompt / triggerHandoutExercise purpose
PromptAsk who requested, approved, understood, or performed the work
HandoutIB-06
Participant statements and authorization chronology
PurposeIdentifies Raiden as the individual who made the unauthorized commitment and preserves the relevant communications.
PromptAsk whether the Government received a benefit, whether the system is acceptable, whether $32,000 is fair and reasonable, or whether funds existed then and remain available
HandoutIB-07
Benefit, technical acceptance, price, and funds record
PurposeSupports the benefit, lawful-purchase, fair-and-reasonable-price, and funds-at-both-times conditions.
PromptAsk whether the purchase would have been proper if made by a Contracting Officer or who may approve ratification
HandoutIB-08
Procurement-propriety and ratifying-authority record
PurposeConfirms that the work could have been properly purchased and identifies the official with sufficient authority under the current DAF matrix.
PromptAsk for the circumstances, Raiden's statement, relevant records, corrective actions, or disciplinary action or an explanation why none was taken
HandoutIB-09
Requiring-organization unauthorized-commitment report
PurposeProvides the organization-generated portion of the DAF ratification record.
PromptAsk for legal review, the Contracting Officer's recommendation, or the approval package route
HandoutIB-10
Legal concurrence and ratification routing record
PurposeSupports legal sufficiency and completion of the Contracting Officer's case summary, invoice package, recommendation, and routing to the authorized ratifying official.

Facilitation lens

What a strong analysis should surface

  1. Recognition - FAR 1.602-3(a) defines an unauthorized commitment as an agreement that is not binding solely because the Government representative lacked authority. Raiden's signed authorization made the commitment in this branch. COR status, Colonel Campbell's support, and Government benefit do not create contracting authority.
  2. Immediate control - Stop any further extra-contractual work, protect safety and the installed system, preserve the invoice and communications, notify the Contracting Officer, and investigate before promising payment, removal, or a retroactive modification.
  3. Ratifiability under FAR 1.602-3(c) - Confirm that the Government accepted supplies or services or otherwise received a benefit; the ratifying official has authority; the resulting contract would otherwise have been proper if made by an appropriate Contracting Officer; the Contracting Officer determines the $32,000 price fair and reasonable; the Contracting Officer recommends payment and legal counsel concurs unless agency procedures dispense with concurrence; funds were available when the commitment occurred and remain available now; and all other agency limitations are met.
  4. DAF package development - The Contracting Officer investigates. The organization explains the circumstances, corrective actions, disciplinary actions or why none were taken, supplies Raiden's signed statement, and provides relevant records. The Contracting Officer prepares a case summary addressing every FAR condition and includes the legal concurrence, contractor invoice and correspondence, organization report, recommendation, and current approval routing in the ratification package.
  5. Approval - The Contracting Officer investigates, determines price, prepares, and recommends; the authorized ratifying official identified by the current DAF approval-authority matrix decides. A bilateral modification alone does not ratify the commitment.
  6. Intended exercise facts - The prompted record supports Government benefit, technical acceptability, funds then and now, a purchase that would have been proper if made by a Contracting Officer, a fair and reasonable $32,000 price, legal concurrence, and an official with sufficient ratification authority. Trainees should still articulate and document every element rather than assume ratification from benefit alone.

Trainer-controlled decision menu

Available response options

6 options

Offer options in plain language and accept equivalent trainee analysis. Do not reveal the assessment labels. Use each availability gate before accepting a contextual response, and use the trainer line to redirect a superfluous answer immediately.

How to run this node: Raiden created an unauthorized commitment after the trainees omitted the change-authority warning. IB3 is the immediate control. IB5 or IB6 unlocks only after every FAR 1.602-3(c) condition and the DAF package record are developed.

IB1Weak

Execute a retroactive bilateral modification and treat the $32,000 invoice as resolved.

Available when
Initially available
Trainer line
“A bilateral signature does not cure Raiden's unauthorized commitment by itself. Which FAR 1.602-3(c) conditions and DAF approval steps must be completed?”
Leads next
Return to IB3.
IB2Weak

Direct immediate removal and deny all payment.

Available when
Initially available
Trainer line
“That could become a legally advised result if ratification fails, but first protect safety, preserve the record, and determine benefit, authority, propriety, price, funds, and legal sufficiency.”
Leads next
Return to IB3.
IB3Strong

Recognize the unauthorized commitment; stop further extra-contractual work; preserve the system and records; notify the Contracting Officer; and investigate the FAR and DAF ratification requirements.

Available when
Initially available
Trainer line
“That controls further exposure without prejudging ratification. In this branch the investigation must identify Raiden as the individual who made the commitment.”
Leads next
Unlock IB5 or IB6 after the complete record is developed.
IB4Weak

Treat Raiden's authorization as a constructive change because the Government accepted and uses the unit.

Available when
Initially available
Trainer line
“Government benefit is one ratification condition; it does not create contracting authority or convert an unauthorized agreement into an ordinary constructive change.”
Leads next
Return to IB3.
IB5Strong

After every condition is documented, determine the price fair and reasonable, obtain the organization's report and legal concurrence, and route the complete ratification package to the authorized official.

Available when
Unlocked when Government benefit, proper-purchase facts, funds then and now, fair and reasonable price, Contracting Officer recommendation, legal concurrence, ratifying authority, and other limitations are all supported
Trainer line
“The intended prompted record supports ratification at $32,000, but only the authorized ratifying official may approve it. Include the case summary, Raiden statement, corrective and disciplinary action record, relevant documents, invoice, legal concurrence, and recommendation.”
Leads next
Complete trainer review within [IB]; after approval, execute the appropriate contract and payment administration.
IB6Strong

Do not ratify and follow the legally advised remedy.

Available when
Unlocked if any FAR or agency ratification condition cannot be met
Trainer line
“Identify the failed condition. Do not promise payment or assume removal without coordinating the appropriate legal and contractual remedy.”
Leads next
Close the ratification route or proceed under the advised non-ratification remedy.