(a) Solicitations citing requirements documents listed in the General Services Administration (GSA) Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, available on the DoD Acquisition Streamlining and Standardization Information System (ASSIST) website, or listed in other agency index shall identify each document's approval date and the dates of any applicable amendments and revisions. Do not use general identification references, such as “the issue in effect on the date of the solicitation.” Contracting offices will not normally furnish these cited documents with the solicitation, except when—

(1) The requirements document must be furnished with the solicitation to enable prospective contractors to make a competent evaluation of the solicitation;

(2) In the judgment of the contracting officer, it would be impracticable for prospective contractors to obtain the documents in reasonable time to respond to the solicitation; or

(3) A prospective contractor requests a copy of a Government promulgated requirements document.

(b) Contracting offices shall clearly identify in the solicitation any pertinent documents not listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions or ASSIST. Such documents shall be furnished with the solicitation or specific instructions shall be furnished for obtaining or examining such documents.

(c) When documents refer to other documents, such references shall—

(1) Be restricted to documents, or appropriate portions of documents, that apply in the acquisition;

(2) Cite the extent of their applicability;

(3) Not conflict with other documents and provisions of the solicitation; and

(4) Identify all applicable first tier references.

(d)(1) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, may be viewed at the ASSIST website at https://assist.dla.mil.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the ASSIST website at https://assist.dla.mil.

(3) Defense documents not available from the ASSIST website may be ordered from the Defense Standardization Program Office by—

(i) Using the ASSIST feedback module at https://assist.dla.mil/feedback; or

(ii) Contacting the Defense Standardization Program Office by telephone at 571-767-6888 or email at [email protected].

(4) The FIPS PUBS may be obtained from http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/, or purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Telephone (202) 512-1800, Facsimile (202) 512-2250; or National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, Telephone (703) 605-6000, Facsimile (703) 605-6900, Email: [email protected].

(e) Agencies may purchase some nongovernment standards, including voluntary consensus standards, from the National Technical Information Service's Fedworld Information Network. Agencies may also obtain nongovernment standards from the standards developing organization responsible for the preparation, publication, or maintenance of the standard, or from an authorized document reseller. The National Institute of Standards and Technology can assist agencies in identifying sources for, and content of, nongovernment standards. DoD activities may obtain from the Defense Standardization Program Office those nongovernment standards, including voluntary consensus standards, adopted for use by defense activities.

(a) Recommendations for changes to standardization documents listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions should be submitted to the General Services Administration, Federal Supply Service, Office of Acquisition, Washington, DC 20406. Agencies shall submit recommendations for changes to standardization documents available at the ASSIST website to the cognizant preparing activity.

(b) When an agency cites an existing standardization document but modifies it to meet its needs, the agency shall follow the guidance in Federal Standardization Manual and, for Defense components, DoD Manual 4120.24, Defense Standardization Program (DSP) Procedures.

Acquisition organizations shall communicate with customers to determine how well the requirements document reflects the customer's needs and to obtain suggestions for corrective actions. Whenever practicable, the agency may provide affected industry an opportunity to comment on the requirements documents.

(a) The contracting officer shall insert the provision at 52.211-1, Availability of Specifications Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, in solicitations that cite specifications listed in the Index that are not furnished with the solicitation.

(b) The contracting officer shall insert the provision at 52.211-2, Availability of Defense Specifications, Standards, and Data Item Descriptions in the Acquisition Streamlining and Standardization Information System (ASSIST) website, in solicitations that cite specifications available in ASSIST that are not furnished with the solicitation.

(c) The contracting officer shall insert a provision substantially the same as the provision at 52.211-3, Availability of Specifications Not Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, in solicitations that cite specifications that are not listed in the Index and are not furnished with the solicitation, but may be obtained from a designated source.

(d) The contracting officer shall insert a provision substantially the same as the provision at 52.211-4, Availability for Examination of Specifications Not Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, in solicitations that cite specifications that are not listed in the Index and are available for examination at a specified location.